Forest Health Walk, Stop 11

Dead Wood

As you walked through these woods, you may have noticed a few dead trees and wondered why SVT and the Town of Ashland have not cleared them from the forest. There’s a simple explanation: trees offer many benefits to forest health, even when they are dead. 

Dead trees that remain standing, known as "snags," provide habitat and food for bats, birds, and other wildlife. Birds like chickadees build nests in the cavities of standing trees. Pileated woodpeckers peck at dead trees in search of carpenter ants to eat.

Once a dead tree falls to the ground, it provides great shelter for small mammals and salamanders. The dead wood also breaks down and recycles nutrients into the soil to aid the growth of future plants.

In other words, dead wood is good wood, and it plays an important role in forest health.

Turn right on the trail up ahead, then look for Stop 12 in 1/4 mile.