I have read with much interest the debate on the Red Cockated
Woodpecker re-economic value and conclude that there is both an economic
as well as an ecological reason for giving the wood-pecker some kind of
protection.
Economic: As has been stated, there is the case of the woodpecker as
natural predator on insects which might otherwise be vectors of disease-
consider a variant of dutch elm disease. In Britain, we have 3 main
wood-peckers , of which the Greater Spotted certainly goes for insects.
Surely the damage done by woodpeckers is minimal compared with damage
which could be done with an insect vector. You could save out on pesticides!
Ecological: If left to them-selves!!, all populations, whether of
predator or prey will reach a balance. Is the woodpecker that much of a
problem that it could not be left in peace? I would be most interested
to hear from any-one where a similar problem has occurred. This sounds
as though it could do with a little further study.
I look forward to seeing more debate on the subject.
Yours faithfully
Robert J. Rowe
please e-mail me: bsd407@cent1.lancs.ac.uk or phone 01524 388674
(don't forget the UK code.
> When I was in forestry school a few decades ago, there were outbreaks of
> southern pine beetles in the southeast. At that time it was noted that
> for some reason beetle outbreaks were unknown in Arkansas. Now such
> outbreaks have become common.
> The forest that existed in the pine belt when the Europeans began their
> expansion was much more open that it is today. This is clear from the
> earlier explorer's accounts. One could "drive a wagon" through forest,
> visibility through the forest was a half mile or more. This type of
> forest had wildflowers that fed predators and parasites of SPB.
> Apparently it was also more favorable to the RCW. This type of open
> forest existed until the 1920's or so.
> Perhaps the frequency of SPB outbreaks are a consequence of the more
> dense forest stands that are now maintained and the value of the RCW is
> the cost of these outbreaks. It may be that the RCW was a significant
> predator of the SPB or its favored habitat was not conducive to SPB
> epidemics.
>
Mail converted by
MHonArc 1.1.0