Habitat Suitability Modeling for Black Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker Using Logistic Regression

Biodiversity conservation is one of the main aims of wildlife conservation. Nowadays habitat loss has been recognized as one of the greatest threats to the worldwide biodiversity. In this study,habitat suitability of Black woodpecker and Great spotted woodpecker was studied in Shast Kalateh forest (NW of Iran). Presence and absence of two woodpeckers and environmental variables (forest cover types, topography, and structural characteristics of vegetation) were detected within a 25-m radius of each of 105 sampling points distributed throughout the study area. The Results of statistical analysis, based on binary logistic regression showed that limiting factors affecting presence of the Black woodpecker were more than those of the Great spotted woodpecker. These results revealed that the Great spotted woodpecker has more ability to adjust its resource use for habitat selection at local scale. In contrast, the Black woodpecker can be considered a habitat specialist species. The comparison of habitat characteristics between the two woodpeckers showed strong preferences for dead trees especially snags (whit 0.589 and 0.458 coefficient for Black and Great spotted Woodpecker). The conservation of the dead and decaying trees, should be taken into account in future conservation strategies and forest management. In this way it is likely that other woodpecker species as well as the community of secondary cavity nesters would also benefit.