Slide 1
A dead tree remains useful
Deadwood supports fungi, insects and other organisms as it decomposes. The end of a tree's growth begins another phase of its ecological life.
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Wood occurs as standing trunks, fallen branches, stumps and buried roots. These forms offer different conditions, so a single neat pile cannot represent every kind of deadwood habitat.
Slide 2
Fungi unlock tough material
Fungi are major agents of wood decay. Their enzymes break down components that many animals cannot directly use as food.
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Different fungi specialize in different materials and stages of decay. Changes in the decomposer community help make a rotting log a sequence of habitats rather than one unchanging resource.
Slide 3
Small residents attract larger ones
Beetle larvae and other invertebrates develop in decaying wood. Birds and other predators can find food by searching those occupied structures.
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Some residents depend on particular tree species or decay conditions. Retaining varied deadwood supports relationships that simply increasing the total volume of one kind may not reproduce.
Slide 4
Cavities are part of the story
Decay can create hollows used for nesting and shelter. A living old tree may contain substantial dead and rotting wood inside it.
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A hollow trunk does not automatically mean every part of the tree is dead. Living tissues around the outside can continue functioning while internal decay supports another community.
Slide 5
Recycling takes time
As wood decays, nutrients gradually return to the surrounding ecosystem. Removing every fallen branch interrupts both that recycling and the habitat it provides.
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Continuity matters for organisms requiring particular stages of decay. A woodland needs future deadwood as well as the logs already present if those specialist populations are to persist.
Sources
- Deadwood
Woodland Trust
- Ecological value of ancient trees
Woodland Trust