The Pileated Woodpecker is one of those species that are so loved by newbie birders—you can’t confuse it with anything else! The largest woodpecker in Canada, it sports a bright red crest and a heavy black body with white stripes. Its loud resonant drumming that increases in tempo, is unmistakable.
And it’s more than just a striking presence. The Pileated Woodpecker is what ecologists call a keystone species—which is why its recent inclusion in schedule 1 of the amended Migratory Bird Convention Act Regulations is so important.
A keystone species is defined as “an organism that has a significant influence on the ecosystem it occupies that is disproportionately large compared to its abundance or biomass” (Power and others 1996, Simberloff 1998). Eminent ecologist Daniel Simberloff (1998) demonstrated that keystone species “are functionally linked to a suite of other species; thus, management for the persistence of keystone species benefits other species by maintaining key ecosystem functions or structures.”
Just what is a keystone species? Aubry and Raley (2002) define add that it a keystone species as “is a relatively uncommon species that is functionally linked to the persistence of an array of other species and plays a critical role in the organization and/or functioning of the ecosystem.”
The Pileated Woodpecker Is a Keystone Species and Protecting Its Nest Cavities Is Good for Nature - Nature Canada
And it’s more than just a striking presence. The Pileated Woodpecker is what ecologists call a keystone species—which is why its recent inclusion in schedule 1 of the amended Migratory Bird Convention Act Regulations is so important.
A keystone species is defined as “an organism that has a significant influence on the ecosystem it occupies that is disproportionately large compared to its abundance or biomass” (Power and others 1996, Simberloff 1998). Eminent ecologist Daniel Simberloff (1998) demonstrated that keystone species “are functionally linked to a suite of other species; thus, management for the persistence of keystone species benefits other species by maintaining key ecosystem functions or structures.”
Just what is a keystone species? Aubry and Raley (2002) define add that it a keystone species as “is a relatively uncommon species that is functionally linked to the persistence of an array of other species and plays a critical role in the organization and/or functioning of the ecosystem.”
The Pileated Woodpecker Is a Keystone Species and Protecting Its Nest Cavities Is Good for Nature - Nature Canada