Course:CONS200/2026WT2/Group 11 Draft Page

Mossy Dead Tree

Overview

Mossy Dead Tree Stump

Dead trees are an important part of biodiversity in many forests types, but they have a history of being overlooked in conservation measures, especially in urban environments. Dead wood has been removed from forests as a part of forest management, for aesthetic purposes, safety precautions or for fuel. Dead woody debris plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling, releasing a slow and steady flow of nutrients, minimizing loss by leeching. On top of being an important part of long term nutrient availability, dead trees harbor a host of flora and fauna, which rely on these distinct microhabitats for survival. In Europe’s boreal forests, 20-25% of species depend on dead trees for their survival. For forest ecosystems, dead trees play a vital and irreplaceable role. To preserve the biodiversity of these forest ecosystems, conservation efforts need to focus on the preservation of dead trees alongside living ones.

Background - Paige

Background on the issue or problem – Historical information, scope/scale of the problem, intensity/frequency/severity of impacts, variables influencing those impacts and any other relevant information needed for understanding the issue;

Historically, deadwood has been discarded and removed from forests as a part of regular forest management. Deadwood was seen as a sign of a poorly managed forest. It was often described as 'debris' and was removed instead of preserved as its ecological value was widely unknown. In parks and protected areas with lots of human interaction, deadwood is often removed for safety reasons. In Metro Vancouver, dead tree removal has been a public concern. Most notably Stanley Park removing dead and decaying trees following drought and hemlock loopers - due to fire and public safety risks. But other locations like Lynn Canyon in the District of North Vancouver also go about removing 'hazard' trees, as they pose a risk to public safety due to risk of tree failure.

Gulf islands - loss of Screech Owl due to habitat loss- Western Screech-Owl Stewardship Project. https://saltspringconservancy.ca/western-screech-owl-stewardship-project-our-first-year/

In the 1970's, the rise of threatened species in managed forests caused scientists to rethink forest ecosystem dynamics, including the removal of dead woody debris. We know now that dead wood (standing trees, weakened trees, fallen logs, coarse woody debris)

Preserving biodiversity in managed forests is a challenge, trying to

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2510922122 - removing dead trees will not save us from wildfire

deadwood is increasingly being accepted as a vital park of ecosystem function, and it's removal is seeing more backlash as we begin to understand the ecological relationships that they hold.

Ecosystem Role

Screech owl in dead tree. Screech owls often use dead and decaying trees for shelter

Habitat - Fangze

Shelter and nesting sites

Standing dead trees (snags) and fallen logs provide nesting sites, shelter, and feeding areas for many forest organisms, including birds, mammals, insects, and fungi. Many cavity-nesting birds excavate holes in dead trees that are later used by other species.

Microhabitats for forest species

Deadwood supports insects and fungi and provides moist microhabitats used by amphibians and small mammals. The presence of cavities, cracks, and bark features in dead trees creates specialized habitats that support a wide range of forest species and increase biodiversity.

https://sfmn.ualberta.ca/sfmn/wpcontent/uploads/sites/83/2018/09/RN_en_Deadwood_and_habitat.pdf?ver=2016-02-23-155808-707

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/documents/gtr-181/027_CMaguire.pdf&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1773077228386514&usg=AOvVaw20LwqiRtuxIuaeBfJHbyXj

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.12.014&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1773077362327796&usg=AOvVaw23N496p0wxInvKf4qbEF78

Tree Microhabitats - Alex

Tree microhabitats are essential for providing homes for forest-dwelling species and driving ecosystem biodiversity. Microhabitats are morphological features present on trees that are used by highly specialized species in at least one part of their lifecycle, such as cavities, cracks, bark features, or fungal fruiting. These features act as shelters, breeding locations or critical hibernation or feeding spots for many species. The decay process of dead trees is a main mechanism for the production of microhabitats. Microhabitats can be formed directly linked to the cause of death (bark peels, crack and conks of fungi) or formed indirectly such as the softening or drying of wood making it easier for woodpeckers to forage and excavate compared to the harder living wood.

Nutrient Cycling - Fangze

Fungi growing on a decomposing fallen log.

Nutrient storage

Deadwood contributes to nutrient storage through the accumulation of nutrients in woody tissues and the interception of litter fall and throughfall. This process allows nutrients to accumulate in downed logs rather than being washed away by rain, creating a reservoir of nutrients within forest ecosystems.

Soil and moisture effects

As dead trees decompose, nutrients are gradually released back into the soil through the activity of fungi, insects, and microorganisms. Deadwood can also improve soil structure and increase water-holding capacity, creating conditions that support plant regeneration and other ecological processes.

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S112547182400464X&sa=D&sorce=editors&ust=1773116787520361&usg=AOvVaw1rCp0_Uxyot_-QSvvs6NWv

Biodiversity - Fangze

Habitat for specialized species

Deadwood created by disturbances such as bark beetle outbreaks can provide important habitat for specialized forest species. For example, barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus) often roost beneath loose bark of dead trees and use structurally complex forests created by natural disturbances.

Increase in forest biodiversity

Natural disturbances that produce deadwood can increase biodiversity by creating new structural features and ecological niches in forests. Studies show that forests affected by bark beetle outbreaks can support a higher diversity of species compared to intensively managed forests.

https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acv.12359

Threats - Angelo

Logging

Logging of dead wood reduces richness of species that depend on dead wood, and also harms those who do not depend on dead wood (https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.12945)

Forest management practices

Removal of dead wood that significantly lowers the number of dead wood will impact fungi and other species populations that depend on dead wood, so forest management with a focus on clearing dead wood is harmful to these species (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112713002880)

Use of dead wood for fuel

Current Remedial Actions - Paige and Alex

Forest Management

Passive Enrichment

Passive deadwood enrichment involves forest preservation process that completely exclude forms of anthropogenic disturbances, such as logging, to foster production of deadwood. This includes designating forests as protected areas or protecting single habitate tree or tree groups. This allows deawood to acumulate via natural processes like aging or biological disturbances. Retaining living trees and allowing them to reach the end of their life space is an effective method of increasing future deadwood availability. It ensures the availability of microhabitats for insects, provides a foundation for further development of deadwood, provides a supply of seeds for forest rejuvenation and supports the development of old growth areas in forests. Another method of passive enrichment is the retention of deadwood at all decay stages. Which ensures that the deadwood's roles in habitat availability and in nutrient cycling are balanced throughout all nessecary stages.

Active Enrichment

Active deadwood enrichment uses human intervention to add or preserve deadwood in forest ecosystems. Active strategies aim to integrate economic and ecological demands via leaving tree parts, such as tree tops or tree stumps, after harvest and logging activities. This artificial creation of deadwood can promote biodiversity within managed forests by introducing and increasing the amount of deadwood in the forest and thus the number of microhabitats available for dependent species.

Conservation planning

- studies advocating for dead trees

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2510922122

protecting species at risk that nest/use dead trees, and in turn protecting dead trees

Conclusion - Angelo

Rough conclusion:

Dead wood is a significant part of forest ecosystems, both for species that depend on dead wood and species that do not. It promotes forest biodiversity and has a variety of ecosystem services. Harmful human activity such as logging, management, and using dead wood for fuel has decreased the amount of dead wood and thus impacted biodiversity in these ecosystems. Conservation strategies are in place to help maintain dead wood's role within ecosystems.

References/Formatting - Paige

Please use the Wikipedia reference style. Provide a citation for every sentence, statement, thought, or bit of data not your own, giving the author, year, AND page. For dictionary references for English-language terms, I strongly recommend you use the Oxford English Dictionary. You can reference foreign-language sources but please also provide translations into English in the reference list.

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This conservation resource was created by Course:CONS200.