Dead Trees Are Very Valuable for Our Wildlife

by Donna Lewis

Trees that have died  and are still standing (snags), and trees that have fallen provide many homes and food for wildlife. Here are some examples.

• Excavated cavities provide homes for woodpeckers.
• When they leave a cavity, secondary nesters move in. These include chickadees, titmice, wrens, and bluebirds. 
• The hollow part of limbs also house owls, raccoons, squirrels, and some bats.
• Many invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals live in or on fallen trees. 
• Fireflies use decaying logs to complete their life cycle. 
• The hollow trunks provide homes for skunks, foxes, mice, and weasels, to name a few.

That’s a ton of uses as a tree finishes its life. It helps coming and going….as a fallen tree decomposes it provides nutrients back to the forest floor.

So, you might think twice before cutting a grand old tree that has died down. Of course there are times when you have to remove one, like being too close to a structure or fence. But if it’s a safe distance, then save it for our wildlife.

Everything has a purpose. Hug a tree today.