ROTTEN LUCK, The Role of Downed Wood in Ecosystems

				B.C. Ministry of Forests Forest Science Program
				Abstract for Bro24


		ROTTEN LUCK, The Role of Downed Wood in Ecosystems
		Author(s): Ministry of Forests, Research Branch and University of British Columbia
		Branch: Research
		Subject: Biodiversity
		Series: Brochure
		Other details: Published June 1995, 6 pages. Funding for Internet version was provided by Forest Renewal BC

Abstract

What is Downed Wood?

When a tree dies its life is only partly over. As wood decays it continues to play an essential role in many different ecosystems – in forests, in streams, in estuaries and in the ocean. As they decay, fallen trees, broken branches, slabs of bark and upturned roots:

provide food
provide shelter
create growing sites for plants and fungi
enrich and stabilize soils
contribute to stream ecosystems

Downed wood is also a biological legacy – a link between present and future forests.

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Updated April 2002

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