%0 Research article
%T Snag characteristics and cavity-nesting birds in the unmanaged post-fire northeastern Canadian boreal forest
%A Lowe, Jeovanna
%A Pothier, David
%A Savard, Jean-Pierre L.
%A Rompré, Ghislain
%A Bouchard, Mathieu
%D 2011
%J Silva Fennica
%V 45
%N 1
%R doi:10.14214/sf.31
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/31
%X We studied the availability and characteristics of snags and their use  by cavity-nesting birds in the northeastern part of the Canadian boreal  forest. We built up two long-term (> 200 years) chronosequences  following time since the last fire in the unmanaged boreal forest of  northeastern Québec, one in the balsam fir-white birch domain (southern  region) and one in the spruce-mosses domain (northern region). We then  sampled and characterized snags and live trees in 30 stands from each of  these two chronosequences. We also looked for nest cavities on all  sampled snags, performed bird inventories by point counts, and  calculated tree mortality rate from permanent sample plots. Results show  that mortality rates follow a U-shaped pattern, with more snags of  large diameter (> 20 cm DBH) in young (< 50 years) and in old  (> 200 years) forests. In the latter, we also found more nest  cavities than in any other age classes. Although abundance of primary  cavity nesters (excavating species) did not vary among age classes,  secondary cavity nesters (using cavities already available) tend to be  more numerous in older forests. Our results highlight the capacity for  young and old-growth forests to provide quality habitat for species that  are dependent on large snags. Proper forest management should maintain a  mosaic of different age forest stands, including snags, to promote  biodiversity and provide important resources for resident bird species.