Abstract
Remote sensing approaches can be used to describe forest characteristics that are important for avian conservation and management. Lidar is one such technology that can be used to describe forest structural characteristics that could influence woodpecker behavior, intra- and inter-specific interactions, and woodpecker demography. Given the sensitivity of woodpeckers to forest structure, we sought to assess how lidar has been incorporated into studies to improve understanding of woodpecker ecology. We conducted a literature review of articles that addressed lidar applications for studies of woodpecker species. Twenty-four studies included lidar in their projects addressing woodpecker ecology. There were 13 species represented within these studies, with 46% of the studies focused on a single federally listed species in the United States (the Red-cockaded Woodpecker Leuconotopicus borealis). Additionally, most studies focused upon ecological patterns related to distribution or space use, with a small number of studies focused on survival, reproduction, or dispersal. Almost all of the studies utilized airborne lidar data that were limited in spatial extent. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States, with only 8% studies occurring in Europe and no studies using lidar to study woodpecker ecology in the tropics. The globally available lidar data from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) instrument has been used to better understand aspects of carbon storage, ecosystem processes, habitat quality and biodiversity. The use of GEDI data and other global remote sensing products in conjunction with citizen science databases (e.g. eBird) and other sources of woodpecker data holds great promise for understanding large scale patterns of distribution. Incorporation of global forest structural data in studies of woodpecker ecology will likely help guide forest management activities that will benefit individual woodpecker species and the species that rely on them.