| Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is declining throughout the eastern United States due to the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid ( Adelges tsugae Annand). In the southern Appalachians, hemlock is concentrated in moist ravines and its loss threatens riparian specialists and habitat quality. The Louisiana waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla ) is an obligate-riparian species that could be sensitive to hemlock condition in the southern Appalachians, but how hemlock decline might impact it is currently unknown. I addressed this knowledge gap by evaluating relationships between hemlock decline and waterthrushes. First, I evaluated the ultimate effects hemlock decline could have on waterthrushes, focusing on survival and habitat selection. Second, I explored the proximate effects hemlock decline could have on waterthrushes via altered habitat quality, focusing on territory length and nestling provisioning and body condition. Short-term effects on waterthrush appear minimal, but long-term changes to riparian forest structure could have negative consequences for this species in the future. |
