Modelling and Design of Habitat Features: Will Manufactured Poles Replace Living Trees as Perch Sites for Birds?

The need to support life in degraded landscapes is a pressing challenge of our time. Models from ecology, computing, architecture, and engineering can the design construction habitat features contexts where human intervention necessary urgent. For example, anthropogenic change causing many arboreal habitats disappear due diminishing populations large old trees. Current management approaches provide artificial replacements shape poles for perching boxes nesting. However, their large-scale long-term impacts are rarely assessed often unclear. Along with benefits, these structures result ecological traps, waste, pollution. Although computer-aided fabrication more sophisticated solutions, limited understanding tree use by wildlife constrain formulation clear goals engineering. In response, this research examines implications at restoration site that already variety living manufactured structures. To do so, we build computational simulation uses high-fidelity lidar scans trees combination field observations bird interactions branches. This models landscape-scale dynamics supply over hundreds years. It account types structures, including trees, snags, utility poles, irrespective processes led availability. We integrated generate quantitative comparisons strategies inform decisions application other modified ecosystems.