Unmanaged forest and bird community: a study in north-western Lombardy

Breeding bird community was censused in an area of 15.9 ha in 2000/20001, on the shores of Lake of Varese, in an Alno-Ulmion alluvial forest. The mean number of the territories was 93 pairs/10 ha/year and nests of cavity-nesting birds were actively searched for analysing the selection of dead wood.