It’s that time of year again. Many of us are tidying our yards before winter sets in. But if you spot a dead or dying tree on your property, and it doesn’t pose a safety hazard, consider leaving it alone.
Ecologists call standing dead trees ‘snags.’ And they play a vital role in forest ecosystems. Snags can remain standing for ten years or more, with hardwoods lasting the longest. During this time they provide critical nesting, roosting, storage, and feeding habitat. Older snags that are more than twelve inches in diameter at chest height are most desired by wildlife.
According to Forest Ecologist Jerry Franklin of the University of Washington – who was honored with the Heinz Award for transforming forest management – “A dead tree is more alive than a live tree.”
Dead trees are like buffets for insect-eating birds and they provide nest sites for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees, among others. Some 85 North American bird species are known to use cavities in dead or dying trees. Wood swallows adopt abandoned woodpecker nests while owls prefer larger cavities. Mammals also benefit; flying squirrels nest in cavities and bats roost behind loose bark.
When snags fall, they continue to provide valuable habitat. Fishers, wolverines, and fox are known to den in the cavities of downed trees.
In our quest to manicure the landscape, dead trees are often eradicated. If you enjoy viewing wildlife, consider keeping snags intact. And if you’ve over-managed your property in the past, provide nest boxes until suitable snags emerge.
Web Links
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/snags/; http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2723&Q=326090; http://windstar.org/animals/dead-trees-alive-with-wildlife/
Photo, taken on January 25, 2008, courtesy of Pat Hayes via Flickr.