Dead wood: the afterlife of trees
"This book is written for anyone interested in natural history and the environment. We are all used to appreciating living trees and forests and each of the three trees profiled in this book is part of a rich biological community during its lifetime. Fewer people appreciate dead wood, even though a tree provides as many services to other living creatures after the tree's death. This exploration of the afterlife of trees describes the importance of standing and downed dead wood in forests, in rivers, along beaches, in the open ocean, and even at the deepest parts of the seafloor. Downed wood in the forest can provide habitat for diverse plants and animals and the progressive decay of the wood releases nutrients into the soil. Wood in rivers provides critical habitat for stream insects and fish and can accumulate in logjams that divert the river repeatedly across the valley floor, creating a floodplain mosaic that is rich in habitat and biodiversity. Driftwood on the beach helps to stabilize shifting sand, creating habitat for plants and invertebrates. Fish such as tuna congregate at driftwood in the open ocean. As driftwood becomes saturated and sinks to the ocean floor, collections of sunken wood provide habitat and nutrients for deep-sea organisms. Far from being an unsightly form of waste that needs to be cleaned from forests, beaches, and harbors, dead wood is a critical resource for many forms of life. Trees can have an exceptionally rich afterlife"--
