Who Knew There Was Value in Saving Dead Standing Trees?
For years one of my windows has looked out on my neighbor’s dead standing tree. The top half was long gone, no branches. Recently, it finally fell to the ground and has been left in place on their beautifully landscaped property. Over the years, that snag (term for a dead standing tree,) has provided much for their yard and our enjoyment.
There are ten species of birds in NH that drill and chip away at the bark of dead trees searching for insects and creating cavities for nesting and roosting. Another 15 birds and 18 mammals use these trees (with tree diameters from 6 inches to greater than 24 inches, depending on the species of trees,) for nesting, roosting or denning. Ideally a snag would be at least 15 inches in diameter and over 10 feet tall.
And now that the snag is down, it is still useful as the wood breaks down providing nutrients for the soil and for new seedlings, earning it the term nurse log. Nurse logs also provide shelter for small wildlife.
To view the chart on Cavity-Using Species from the Univ. of NH see the link below.