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The Story of the Fallen Tree
Written by an anonymous but conscientious park warden.
Trees play an important role in the life cycle of the forest for centuries even after they die. When a dead tree falls to the ground, it adds diversity to the forest floor. Soil accumulates around it and small animals find shelter underneath. A porous decaying log can store critical moisture through long dry seasons. Insects and fungi feed on it, and some fungi pump water from it to the roots of nearby trees. Eventually the fallen tree becomes a nurse log to young seedlings that feed on its nutrients. A log can take as long to decompose as it took to grow.
Snow defines the fallen trees
If the tree falls into a stream, it forms pools where young fish can hide from would-be predators. The insects that feed on these logs serve as food for fish. The wood also slows the stream, minimizing erosion and trapping silt which would muddy the water. Logs in water decompose somewhat faster than on land, but can benefit life in the forest for a very long time. So when a tree falls in the forest and stays there, it still matters – to the woodpecker that devours the termites eating its wood, to the fish that swim nearby or to the eagle that eats the fish for breakfast.
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