The Deadwood Stage (in the life of a tree)

Do you remember the public outcry when the Sycamore Gap tree was felled by vandals? Or the time when the people of Sheffield protested and won the case against the council who were felling street trees ad lib? Or the outpouring of grief and anger over the years about the massacre of ancient trees to make way for yet more roads and the aborted HS2?

Yes, we are indeed a nation of tree lovers; we sense their ancient majesty, see their beauty and learn about their place in the great cycle of life. This article is about the final stage of the natural life of a tree and shows that the dying, dead and decaying wood is used and recycled to support many other lifeforms. From the short lifespan of the silver birch, to the hundreds of years of the oak, and the possible thousands of the yew, each species is important to biodiversity as it declines and dies.

Many hundreds of different invertebrate species are saproxylic: dependent on decaying wood to complete their lifecycle.* These invertebrates are a vital food source for myriad creatures further up the food chain. Lying deadwood is also home and shelter for many creatures, such as grass snakes and great crested newts, and standing deadwood is used by the green woodpeckers and Bechstein bats that nest and roost in its hollows and cavities.

Where decayed deadwood has been undisturbed for many years, its widely extended underground fungal networks tap into the root systems of whole communities of trees, which allows for the sharing of nutrients, via this 'wood wide web'. Where the amount and types of deadwood are most abundant, biodiversity is greatest.

Fallen trees can promote river health. They slow the flow, providing a natural flood defence and the resultant microhabitats add complexity - pools, riffles, chutes – which support the different life stages of fish and other river wildlife.The Rivers Trust builds 'leaky dams' mimicking natural obstructions; branches and tree trunks are placed strategically in the river to slow the flow and gradually release the water.

Around Forncett you might have noticed that some farmers have left dead trees standing, providing valuable habitat, as already described. You can do this too if you have an area of land or very large garden. Please also heed what Buglife says: "The single most important wood-decay resource for invertebrates is a large, standing, living tree with columns of decay in the heartwood", so is definitely worth conserving.

In a small garden or near footpaths and roads, where it could be dangerous to leave deadwood standing, here are some ideas for how to provide some of the great benefits of deadwood in your wildlife friendly garden:

1. 'Dead' Hedges - see previous article

2. Stacks or piles of dead wood can be created in sun or shade near to growing plant cover as part of a wildlife corridor, or perhaps by a pond.

3. You can also pile woody prunings in hedge bottoms which gradually break down to make a great habitat. (I sometimes add grass cuttings and dead leaves to the mix.)

4. Beneficial and decorative artefacts: I've made a circle of a dozen 'planted' logs where lesser stag beetles now live around the ends of the gradually decaying wood. I also acquired a couple of dumped tree stumps complete with roots which make an attractive and sculptural addition to a border. In another garden I saw a 'mythical creature' which was a huge, dead, forked branch that had fallen from a tree and been artfully displayed.

5. There are lots of instructions online for making a hibernaculum where reptiles and amphibians can hide or hibernate.You can either dig one out and add deadwood and old bricks, or you can create one above ground. Turf or plant over. Some designs include a non-slippery drainpipe for easy access. Try this one on YouTube

*If you would like to learn more, Buglife have well-presented information here:

 

November 2024