There´s life in deadwood!
It may not look good at first sight but deadwood is a very important habitat! Lots of bugs, mushrooms and even birds live there because it provides them with food, gives protection and helps keeping the ground productive. Look closely – maybe you´ll catch a woodpecker looking for bugs!
Deadwood is a very important habitat for lots of species. Shortly after a tree dies many different new residents move in and the natural circulation starts right away.
More than 1.000 different kinds of bugs adapted perfectly to this habitat. Larvas of stag and jewel beetle love to hide in deadwood while it´s the perfect foray area for colorful beetles. Ladybugs find a place to hibernate in deadwood.
Woodpeckers are very needy of deadwood because it´s the perfect place for nest building, can be used as a means of communication (woodpecker drums) as well as courtship tree and perch. Not to forget the bugs that can be found in there and which they love to eat.
Abandoned woodpecker caves are great for diverse new tenants such as hollow dove, brown owl and starling but are also used by bees and hornets to survive winter. Mammals such as evening sailor, pine marten and dormouse use it as a hiding space and for raising their babies.
Disintegrated trees can be a habitat for mushrooms, lichen, moss and fern because of the huge nutrient stock that have been saved in the deadwood and are now being delivered back to the ground through decomposition. It is important to keep in mind: Old and deadwood is the foundation for an enormous biodiversity. Therefore it´s crucial to protect and support those habitats.