Dead Trees Bring Life

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? This is a question asked for ages, and no matter the philosophical answers debated, a fallen tree may have uses no one sees. Trees have countless uses for humans. They offer shade, filter the air, and add value and beauty to the home landscape. Trees stabilize the soil and even produce food for us. When a tree is cut, it can be transformed into fuel, made into furniture, form the structure of our homes, and without trees, a newspaper could not be written, produced, or read.

Dead trees have a useful and special value, not for us but for wildlife. Dead parts of live trees, which are called 'snags', and fallen trees, referred to as 'logs' become important resources in nature. They become food and shelter for a number of species. As a tree decomposes, it recycles itself into the soil. The process enriches the soil and makes conditions favorable for the next generation of seedlings.

Logs become shelter for many layers of life. Insects, salamanders, mice and other small creatures seek refuge there. Other woodland life feed off them. Some grouse have been known to raise generations on the same logs. As the wood decays, it increases the mushroom population. During the harsh winter months, mushrooms are an important food source for birds, squirrel, and deer.

Snags, or standing dead trees, offer a nesting place for thirty-five species of birds. Wood ducks look for tree cavities near water. Barn owls look for nesting sites near large fields. Chickadees, sapsuckers, and woodpeckers make beneficial use of snags. As insects invade a dead tree, they attract turtles, shrews, salamanders, and bats among others, to sustain their life. One bat can consume thousands of mosquitoes while we slumber away.

While it may not always be feasible to keep dead trees on your property, some consideration should be given to sustaining the life we don’t see. On a smaller scale, brush piles, or even a post-season live Christmas tree set outside can create a haven for wildlife. Just because we don’t hear a sound doesn’t mean sounds are not being made.

For more information on this topic, The Penn State Master Gardeners have the publication 'Dead Wood for Wildlife'. Please contact us at 570-963-9642 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu to request your free copy.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County