In the UK, it is estimated that up to one fifth of all species depend on deadwood (Humphrey and Bailey 2012).
From a distance, deadwood might look a bit of a mess. If you look closely, you will see tremendous diversity.
Why deadwood matters
Many species forage, shelter and rear young in and around deadwood and old trees
Dead and dying trees, debris and wood fragments are valuable for many species of insects, lichens, bryophytes and fungi.
Deadwood is also important for rivers and lochs. Even small amounts of woody debris will increase salmon and trout numbers by providing high quality habitat for young fish.
It supports forest and aquatic ecosystems through processes such as soil nutrient cycling and carbon storage.
We need more of it
Unfortunately, despite its huge ecological value, there just isn’t enough deadwood. Our forests are still too tidy.
The good news is that the amount of deadwood in Scotland’s forests is increasing. That’s because managing deadwood is now a vital part of our work in Scotland's national forests. Our team are committed to leaving all sorts of deadwood features, including:
- dying and dead standing trees
- stumps
- lying timber
- piles of logs
Decay is a continuous process and we are always reviewing deadwood habitats. They’re working hard to ensure that there are higher volumes, that it is located where it will make the most difference and that it is of good quality for a wide range of organisms.
In much of our forest, we take deliberate action to increase deadwood and retain large diameter material often associated with the rarest species.