![]() Hungry mammals may dig into the decaying wood in search of tasty insect prey, while plant roots blur the lines between decayed wood and the soil beneath. ![]() With time, the log will lose its shape and structure. Fungi, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals form corridors throughout the length of these decaying tree trunks, mixing nutrients and leaving seeds that await germination. Tiny new forests of mosses, lichen, and saprophytic fungi form an insulating layer along the top of these logs, capturing carbon, catalyzing nutrient cycles, and trapping moisture in this rich new ecosystem. Over the years, hundreds of organisms living on and in the fallen tree will convert their accumulated nutrients back into healthy living soil. In this phase of its existence, the tree begins its slow transition back into the soil. Once on the ground, a dead tree takes on a new role as Coarse Woody Debris (CWD). As a tree trunk approaches the ground those spaces around its roots grow, as do their functions larger animals like foxes and skunks often excavate burrows in the root mounds of these fallen giants, utilizing the space left behind by the rotting roots and lifted soil. For several species, such as owls, woodpeckers, squirrels, and fishers, these tree cavities are vital spaces for rearing their young.Įven as a dead or declining tree starts to lean, its heaving roots create new spaces for organisms like salamanders, chipmunks, weasels, and friendly snakes to take refuge and search for food. Many of our native and charismatic birds, mammals, and reptiles use tree cavities to take refuge from predators and inclement weather. They provide many functions for a variety of species depending on the size and location of the hollow space. The cavities are often found at the base of the tree or high in the treetops. Once you get in the habit of looking, you might be surprised to notice how many large trees have wonderful sections of a hollow trunk. Of course, these insect larvae are more than just pre-pollinators, they are also an important food source for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and a great number of other species. Insect larvae - which will later become pollinators of wildflowers and food crops - also rely on the softened wood and loosened bark of these old trees as a safe and plentiful location to live out their first stage of life. Beautiful and often delicious fungi will colonize and spread beneath the bark of a declining tree, beginning the process of decomposition while the tree still stands. Truly stunning mosses and lichen splatter the bark with organic abstract artistry. Furthermore, in our fragmented urban and suburban landscapes, large snags continue to provide resting spaces and valuable food sources for birds and other species traveling between patches of higher quality habitat.īoth as a living tree and as a majestic snag, a tree's branches are host to an array of epiphytic (tree-top dwelling) species. they support a different suite of organisms than the surrounding landscape). Particularly in highly managed spaces, such as lawns and parks, snags can support an ecological community of species with very high beta diversity (ie. For years to decades after they have stopped producing leaves snags (the term for standing dead trees) continue to provide a unique habitat and abundant resources to an incredible array of species. The death of a large tree is more like a milestone in its existence – no longer a living organism, the tree becomes a thriving ecosystem. Dead and dying trees are immensely valuable to a multitude of wildlife species and for a variety of ecosystem services. This conception is one that I would like to challenge all people to re-evaluate. Often when people see the downward trajectory of a tree they hire someone to come in and remove it, under the guise that the tree may be hazardous or an eyesore. As our climate changes and new stressors add to the old, many people might be noticing that big trees in their yards are beginning to decline and die.
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