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Donna VanBuecken

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When Dead Doesn’t Mean Dead

March 30, 2021

Dead trees, also called “snags,” can stand for many decades and are useful in every stage of their decay. When standing, they are used by wildlife as shelter, food sources, lookouts, and hiding places. Photo by Donna VanBuecken.

by Lawanda Jungwirth

A dead tree is never entirely dead even though it may seem that way at first glance. Observe a dead tree for a while, and you will see that it is teeming with life. The healthiest, most biologically diverse forests have a good share of dead trees, broken tops, and downed logs along with living trees. They are not the tidiest looking forests, but they are the most ecologically healthy.

Dead trees in forests and home landscapes provide habitat for more than 1,200 wildlife species in the United States. According to the U.S. Forest Service, this includes about 85 species of birds, at least 50 mammals, and about a dozen reptiles and amphibians that rely on dead trees for survival. Then there are the dozens of invertebrates such as millipedes,  beetles, spiders, worms, ants and more who call dead trees home or a snack bar. (Plus countless microscopic species essential to the natural community.) Some estimates indicate that removal of dead trees from wooded areas can cause loss of habitat for one out of five animals in a forest’s ecosystem.

Always a delight: flickers resting in a snag. Photo by Lawanda Jungwirth.

At least 30 kinds of birds use snags as foraging perches, whether they are flycatchers scooping up flying insects – kingfishers, eagles and ospreys diving for fish – or owls and hawks searching for field mice. In addition, many bird species perch atop dead trees to sing their little hearts out. Dead trees are necessary at some point in the life cycles of up to 45 percent of all North American bird species.

The most well-known and observable use of dead trees is the cavities birds use for nests. Only 30 species of birds are able to make their own nest cavities in trees, but another 80 bird and animal species, called secondary nesters, depend on those premade cavities for their homes. Some of the secondary nesters are larger birds, squirrels, bats, raccoons, porcupines, and opossums. It is not uncommon for a series of ever-larger birds and animals to call the same cavity home.

Dead trees attract insects, and in the past, that was one of the reasons snags were removed from forests. However, those very insects draw predator insects and birds that actually help control the insect pests that can harm the overall forest.

Both standing dead trees and downed logs are home to hundreds of species of pollinating insects such as bees and wasps, the primary pollinators of a forest’s flowers and berry-producing shrubs.

How Many Dead Trees Are Enough?

For wooded acreage, three snags per acre is the minimum recommended to be left standing. A single dead tree in a small yard is also vital, sometimes even more so than on acreage. There is no upper limit for number of dead trees, just as there is no lower limit for size. Even a tree with a 6-inch diameter at breast height can host smaller birds. In general, though, the larger the snag the better, and the more snags the better.

When a Tree Should Go

When a dead tree is leaning against your house or may fall or drop branches on your house, car, or children – or your neighbor’s house, car, or children, it should go. Consider that it may be possible to remove part of the tree and let the remainder stand, or to move the dead tree or its branches to another part of your property.

After the Fall

But one day, after years of providing for birds, animals, and insects, a dead tree will finally topple. Even then it continues to perform useful ecological services, perhaps even more so than when it was standing. If it is propped up by its branches, animals such as bears, foxes, and porcupines may make a den in the protection of its branches. Generations of grouse may use it as a drumming stand.

Eventually, even those supportive branches will give way, and the trunk will lie flat on the ground where fungi and soil microbes will soften the wood, and insects and worms will arrive and thrive. Now the rotting log is performing ecological benefits such as soil fertilizer, erosion control, soil-moisture stabilization, and carbon control.

Blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale) are often abundant in lowland hardwood forests. Photo by WDNR.

At this point, salamanders arrive and search the downed log for food. Salamanders don’t get much press, but did you know that Wisconsin has seven species of salamanders? And that in eastern forests salamanders make up more biomass than deer? Salamanders eat insects such as beetle larvae, ground beetles, spiders, sow bugs, and round worms that would like to consume all the leaf litter on the forest floor. When salamanders prey on these species, a deeper layer of leaf litter remains in the forest, holding moisture that is important for other forest plants and helping reduce erosion. Below that leaf litter is another layer of life dependent upon dead wood. A complex food web made up of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, springtails, mites, and more tiny organisms work to improve the soil for forest regeneration.

Back to salamanders for a minute. Do you know what eats them? Wild turkeys for one, so you can see how allowing downed logs to remain in the forest can directly affect the results of the spring turkey hunt. Other animals that prey on salamanders include snakes, birds, shrews, frogs, fish, skunks, raccoons, and other small mammals.

Eastern candlewax lichen (Ahtiana aurescens) growing on the limb of a fallen pine tree. Photo by Donna VanBuecken.

Deer also benefit from dead trees. They eat the lichens that often grow on the bark of dead or dying trees. They will also eat mushrooms that grow in the damp rotting wood and leaves, as do insects, turtles, birds, mice, and squirrels. Mushrooms can make all the difference in a deer’s survival of a difficult winter. 

Over the years, as a log slowly decomposes, it releases its nutrients into the soil and becomes what is known as a nurse log. Bright green mosses and colorful mushrooms may grow on it, and tiny plants and even tree seedlings will find purchase on the rich decomposing wood.

When a tree ends up falling into a stream instead of the forest floor, it slows the movement of the water and traps sediment behind it. This provides habitat for fish and amphibians. Most trout fishermen know that streams edged with downed trees produce more fish. Scientists have not pinpointed a maximum density of logs in a stream that would be too much. Basically, the more wood, the more fish.

Note: Lawanda Jungwirth is a member of the Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter and a Master Gardener. She has written a garden column in the Oshkosh Northwestern since 2000 and the “Plant Matters” column in Badger Sportsman magazine since 2010. A lifelong gardener, she has an intense interest in environmental issues. Lawanda received the 2010 Invader Crusader award from the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council.

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E-mail photo by Donna VanBuecken.

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WOFVA Chapter Plant Sale Orders Due March 31, 2021

March 14, 2021

Female monarch nectaring rough blazingstar (Liatris aspera).

Are you starting to get excited about spring and getting out in your yard? Digging in the dirt? Planting new plants, trees, and shrubs? Are you asking yourself what you can do for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators? Then you should know about the Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter’s annual native-plant sale. Orders for native plants, trees, and shrubs are due Saturday, March 31, 2021.

Native plants are the host plants and food source for most native pollinators and insects. They evolved together, so it’s natural that they would rely on each other for their preservation. In this day and age of bee-colony collapse, monarch-butterfly loss, and insect eradication, it’s important for all of us to do our part by gardening for wildlife. Without bees and other insects, many of the foods we eat would not be pollinated naturally, which means our meals would be a different experience and would become more costly.

The Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Chapter’s annual spring native plant sale will be held at the WILD Center in Neenah, Wisconsin (2285 W. Butte Des Morts Beach Road, Neenah, Wisconsin), on May 22, 2021.

Chapter volunteers sorting pre-orders of native plants.
Chapter volunteers sorting orders of native plants.  Photo by Donna VanBuecken.

The plant sale order form identifies all plants, trees, and shrubs offered as to ecotype (shade, sun, mesic, etc.). There are also some pre-designed collections of prairie and shade plants available, and a listing specifically for monarchs and pollinators. If you need assistance in selecting native plants, see alternatives to non-native cultivars and nativars.

Plants are in 4-inch pots and are more than reasonably priced at $6 per plant. Trees and shrubs are individually marked. There is also special pricing available for non-profits purchasing plants for their outdoor learning centers and habitats.

Don’t forget to place your order!

Orders are due Wednesday, March 31, 2021.

Pick up is May 22, 2021, from 9AM to 2PM.

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The e-mail photo is by Robert Carlson.

http://www.accentnatural.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WOFVA-PlantSale-BackUp.docx

 

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It’s Time to Reauthorize Wisconsin’s Stewardship Program

February 24, 2021

In 1989, Governor Tommy Thompson and the Wisconsin legislature created the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to preserve valuable natural areas and wildlife habitat, protect water quality and fisheries, and expand the opportunities for outdoor recreation. Normally, the Stewardship Program is on a 10-year cycle, but it was only budgeted for three years until 2022. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has recommended that Governor Evers’ next biennial budget include 10-year reauthorization of the program through 2031. The Nature Conservancy was deeply involved in crafting this recommendation and will work with the governor, state legislators of both parties, and the WDNR to ensure that this recommendation is adopted in the next state budget.

We have time to get a coalition of partners from other conservation, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation groups to increase funding for the program, and reauthorize it for a longer period of time.

What Does the Stewardship Program Do?

One of the projects that was helped by the Stewardship Funds. This is the Guckenberg-Sturm Marsh on Little Lake Butte des Morts. Photo taken by Donna VanBuecken.

More than 90 percent of Wisconsinites recognize the importance of reauthorizing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to protect our state’s lands, waters, and wildlife, fight climate change with natural solutions, maintain our mental and physical well-being, and grow our outdoor recreation and local economies. (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Clean Water — Protecting the forests, wetlands and grasslands that filter out pollutants in runoff before they reach our lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
  • Groundwater Protection — Protecting the lands that are essential to replenish the groundwater is critical to ensure a consistent supply of clean, safe water.
  • Flood Protection — Protecting grasslands, wetlands, and forests along rivers upstream to store water and help reduce the risk of severe flooding downstream.
  • Recreation Economy — Protecting hundreds of thousands of acres of land and hundreds of river miles for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and other types of recreation.
  • Urban Outdoor Opportunities — Providing outdoor opportunities near home for all Wisconsin residents, including more trails and parks for those living in cities and surrounding urban areas.
  • Wildlife Habitat — Protecting large blocks of wetlands, forest, and prairie for birds, waterfowl, pollinators, bats, small and large mammals, and other rare, protected, and endangered species to roam.
  • Working Lands — Protecting working forest, prairie, and rivers in Wisconsin, along with the jobs and products they provide.

Nonpartisan Program

The Stewardship Fund is a nonpartisan program. It was named after former governors Warren Knowles, a Republican, and Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat. It’s the right thing to do for Wisconsin’s land, water, and wildlife. We have to make sure our lawmakers know how important land and water protection is for our state.

Write the legislature today.

  • Your State Senator
  • Your State Assembly

Please let them know what you think about it.

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The e-mail photo courtesy of WDNR.

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Bird/Pollinator-Friendly Garden

February 16, 2021

All I see is sparrows! Donna VanBuecken

As cold as it has been, the birds have nowhere to go other than to hunker down in the bushes and leaf piles. Just sparrows – this was a result of my bird count.

In general, bird are nature’s messengers. As populations of birds change, those fluctuations may indicate shifts in pollution levels, climate change, habitat loss, migration timing, and more. How will birds be affected by habitat loss, pollution, disease, climate, and other environmental changes? How will you change?

Bird/Pollinator-Friendly Garden

Plant a landscape in which birds and pollinators will have a chance of dealing with climate change. More native plants means more choices of food and shelter for native birds and pollinators. More native plants will be colorful, visually appealing, and more healthy for the landscape. The landscape will need no watering or fertilizer because of the deep roots. More than half of the birds and pollinators are threatened as a result of the changing world.

The National Audubon Society has some points for your native-plant garden:

Chickadees feed 300+/- caterpillars to their chicks daily. Photo by Doug Tallamy.
Chickadees feed about 300 caterpillars to their chicks daily. In the 16 days it takes to fledge, chicks can eat more than 9,000 larvae. Photo by Doug Tallamy.

557: Varieties of butterflies and moths are supported by native oak trees, as compared to only 5 butterfly and moth species supported by non-native ginkgo trees.

96: Percentage of land birds that rely on insects to feed chicks.

1,200: Number of crops that depend on pollinators to grow.

30-60: Percent of fresh water in American cities used for watering lawns.

40 million: Acres of lawn in the U.S. currently.

80 million: Pounds of pesticides applied to lawns in the U.S. annually. Native plants, on the other hand, support a balance of predator and prey, and thrive without pesticides.

17 million: Gallons of fuel used each year for refueling lawn equipment while polluting the air and groundwater.

800 million: Gallons of gasoline used annually by lawn mowers. This produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, driving climate change.

Easy Ways to Create Bird/Pollinator Friendly Gardens

Recommended native plants for sunny areas by designer Rosemary Eiden (WOFVAC).

Create native landscapes that will benefit birds and pollinators and you. This website provides practical, educationally sound information on native landscaping developed specifically for first-time native-plant gardeners. Included in the website is native-garden designs created by professional landscape designers for multiple ecoregions in the United States. The native-plant list takes into account the various light, soil, and moisture conditions. Read more at the Wild Ones.

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The e-mail photo is by Doug Tallamy.

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