WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A TREE DIES?
Lightning, wind storms, fire, and fungal infections can all kill trees, but injuries, which open the way to attacks by insects, are the commonest cause of tree mortality. The primary colonizers of snags are insects and fungi. If you usually think of these species as pests, you might be surprised to find out that they’re essential to all the other wildlife species that depend on or make use of cavities. All of these species help to carry on the long process of decomposition. By softening the wood, they make it easier for birds and bats to gain access. Insects also attract woodpeckers and other forest-dwelling animals that in their search for food hollow out holes or cavities that become nesting sites for other birds and bats. Woodpeckers are an example of what biologists call “keystone species” because they greatly influence other species. The holes they create as they search for food provide homes for countless other creatures.. HOW LONG DOES A DEAD TREE REMAIN STANDING? A standing dea
