Have you ever seen a hole in a tree during a walk in the forest? Some species depend on these cavities to carry out their life cycle. In general, these species account for 20 to 30 % of the vertebrate species within  a forest. 

Every year woodpeckers excavate a new cavity in which they nest. After they leave these holes, the abandoned cavity can welcome new occupants who find protection and comfort. In Quebec, dozens of species use these cavities either to nest, spend the winter or simply to sleep.

Regrettably, some of these species are vulnerable due to logging practices. In European regions in which extensive forestry has been practised for numerous decades, several cavity-nesting species are threatened by extinction or have already become extinct regionally. 

We are conducting studies in the mixed boreal forest of Abitibi to better understand the effect of forestry on cavity nesting communities.