TRAMETES2 - Contribution of the network of old-growth forest elements to the conservation of habitats and species

Through the study of five forest sites in metropolitan France, we installed 80 paired plots: one with at least one black woodpecker cavity and one without (control). We described the forest structure of these plots, then we equipped them with eco-acoustic sensors for determining bird communities and sampled for fungal communities associated with deadwood and black woodpecker cavities. In parallel (outside Biosefair funding), we worked on wild honeybee colonies, and the main results are presented below.

The Biosefair funding for TRAMETES 2 complemented a project funded by the French Office for Biodiversity.

Approaches

TRAMETES 2 enabled:

• The collection of data from additional sites to increase the statistical power and robustness of the sampling;
• The extended use of eco-acoustic data to identify bird and bat species (and even whole communities), beyond the few species initially planned in the project;
• The search for vectors of fungi typical of cavities (notably bees), and a deeper description of cavity occupants using environmental DNA methods.

Results

Impact of the presence of peak cavities on the communities studied

Preliminary results show that the presence of black woodpecker cavities has varying effects depending on the community considered:

• Birds: forest structure, especially the presence of large trees, seems to have a greater effect on communities than the mere presence of cavities. However, some species, particularly secondary cavity nesters, occur more frequently in cavity-rich areas;
• Fungi: fungal communities found in cavities differ from those found in downed deadwood. Some fungal groups are exclusive to cavities, highlighting their crucial role for fungal biodiversity;
• Wild honeybees (non-Biosefair funded work): colonies do not appear to depend on black woodpecker cavities, but rather to smaller cavities (e.g., from great spotted woodpeckers). These colonies seem viable in the medium term (at least 2–3 years).

Contribution of the project on inventories assisted by AI and Machine Learning

Thanks to the substantial volume of acoustic data collected by TRAMETES and other plot data characterizing habitats and species, a new innovative analysis framework for bioacoustic data is emerging.  AI thus provides an additional tool to guide management decisions through new insights. This dialogue with algorithms also refines recognition, identifies causal links, and adapts technical systems to local questions.

A first interface is under development.

Participants

INRAE units involved

• UR LESSEM - Laboratoire Ecosystèmes et Sociétés En Montagne
• UE UEFM - Unité expérimentale Entomologie et Forêt Méditerranéenne
• USC Ecodiv-Rouen - Étude et compréhension de la biodiversité - CNRS / University of Rouen Normandy
• UR PSH - Unité de recherche Plantes et Systèmes de culture Horticoles

Partners

• EGCE - Laboratoire Évolution, Génomes, Comportement, Écologie - Université Paris-Saclay / CNRS / IRD
• Fold ecosystemics - A digital toolkit for ecosystem managers and experts (Allemagne)