This wood It is a basic material that allows trees to reach towards the sky and not be shaded by neighboring plants. Since without light there is no photosynthesis, the formation of strong and tall trunks has been a common trend in the evolutionary race of trees to occupy a suitable place in the forest cover.
Throughout evolution, wood has also been chosen to be made of durable materials that are difficult to decompose by fungi and bacteria. For hundreds or even thousands of years of a tree’s lifespan, it must withstand harsh weather conditions and the onslaught of numerous organisms.
Therefore, the weathering of wood is a slow process that usually takes years or decades, depending on the type of climate.
a food source
Found in trunks, branches or roots, wood is the largest component of the tree, exceeding 95% of its biomass. It contains many chemical elements, practically all those necessary for life: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, manganese… Its concentration is not very high, but considering that the majority component of forest biomass is wood, the amount is very important as it contains the total number of nutrients.
Like this, the relatively slow decay rate of wood becomes an advantage rather than a problem. This allows nutrients to be released little by little, thus facilitating their reuptake by living plants and hence their efficient recycling. Therefore, wood is a nutrient store that maintains the productivity of the forest floor.
But wood doesn’t just provide nutrients to the soil. Moreover, It is a direct food for many organisms, such as fungi or insects.. These fungi and these insects are also a food source for many other animals such as birds, mammals, reptiles and other insects. In short, dead wood is the basis of a trophic network that sustains numerous species. Much of the biodiversity in forests is directly or indirectly linked to the presence of dead wood and its decomposition.
Pillars protecting ecosystems
Wood, finally, is an element that creates structure in the ecosystem.. Falling trunks and branches change environmental conditions on a small scale, such as insolation, wind speed, or the relative humidity of the air and soil. This creates a large heterogeneity of microhabitats where different animal or plant species can settle, depending on their needs.
The structural role of wood also acts as a physical barrier, protecting against herbivores and thus promoting forest regeneration. It also provides organic matter to the soil that improves its texture, porosity and many other physical parameters that support plant growth.
dead wood is not garbage
Therefore, dead wood is an essential element for the functioning of the forest. Not waste, not garbage. But, Removal of dead tree remains is very common in forest management., especially after disturbances such as fire, pests or storms. We are so used to it that even citizens often demand the removal of dead trees after these disturbances. This activity, called “tree removal”, has been practiced for decades on all continents, especially in the Mediterranean region.
The reasons given for removing wood after destruction vary in different parts of the world. One of the main reasons is its sale. This is something we must accept as long as the use of the forest in question is commercial, as we trade the plants we grow.
However, in many cases there is no commercial purpose (for example, because the wood is of poor quality or is a protected area) and wood is still mined. In these cases The removal of wood is claimed to support future business in the area by facilitating the passage of personnel and machinery.It eliminates the risk of accidents from fallen trees, reduces the risk of fire and reduces the risk of pests that can affect unburned or partially burned parts of the forest.
Leave the dead wood in the forest
These reasons have been strongly challenged by recent research around the world, which shows that arguments for removing timber after deterioration are context dependent and not always justified.
For example, A causal relationship between the presence of wood and the increase in fire incidence has not been demonstrated.and since flammable materials such as splinters and twigs are formed, it has been confirmed that there is a greater risk of fire after wood removal.
The risk of insect pests damaging wood depends on the type of ailment. In case of forest fires (the most common disturbance in Spain), burnt trees are not a substrate for pestsfeeds on live but weakened trees, so the widespread removal of dead trees is not justified.
Finally, accidents can be avoided by taking safety precautions, such as cutting down dead trees in the most visited or traffic-free areas, or performing restoration work where the risk of tree felling is less.
In general, research in the field of ecology makes this clear. Today, dead wood is an essential element for the functioning of forests., to encourage their regeneration after disruptions and to accelerate the recovery of the ecosystem services they provide to us. Therefore, we should change our deadwood management policies and allow all or part of it to remain on its site.
Jorge Castro Gutiérrez is Professor of Ecology at the University of Granada.
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