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The Importance of Managing Deadwood
Deadwood has important ecological benefits, providing habitats for bugs and beetles. However, if it’s managed incorrectly, it can cause danger to humans, homes and other wildlife. Whether in forests, by roadsides or in workplaces, it’s important to correctly manage deadwood.
We cover the process behind deadwooding, and how it can be used to improve conservation efforts as well as being important for good tree care.
How does deadwooding work?
Deadwooding is the removal of dead wood from a living tree. Dead parts of a tree are often produced naturally, as a tree diverts energy to other parts, or it receives sunlight from only one angle. Much like how humans shed skin particles, trees shed parts of themselves that are dead in order to make way for new growth.
However, in commercial settings and outside of forests, falling deadwood can cause serious damage to humans, property, and even cause disruption to roads. This is where arborists and tree surgeons come in. They are able to detect which branches will need cutting off before they fall, and can identify the best course of action for each tree.
Discovering deadwood
In an initial survey, a tree surgeon will be able to identify the deadwood that poses a risk, and at which order it should be chopped down. A tree survey is carried out at this stage to help discover what any problems are, and also how the deadwood has been formed.
Deadwood can be formed, largely, through two processes:
- Decay from the inside out, through fungi or beetles.
- Decay from the outside in, where storms, disease or drought cause decay
Creating a plan
Deadwood can be removed in a number of ways and, depending on the scale, some may need more planning than others. For example, a veteran tree with deadwood in the crown (top branches) and a decaying core, may need a different care plan than a younger tree that has been damaged due to a storm.
Once the plan of how the tree will be deadwooded is in place, a plan of what to do with that deadwood is also needed.
Deciding on use for the deadwood
Deadwood is of great ecological importance across all landscapes. Depending on the type of wood, and the location of the tree, the wood may be used for a variety of purposes.
- Near water deadwood. Deadwood has been shown to be of great importance in bodies of water, from providing key habitats for invertebrates, to providing benefits for fish populations.
- Deadwood for food sources. A number of woodland species depend on deadwood for food, and fungal growth can contribute to this. Often these species are protected as they are rare, in part due to the reduction in deadwood.
- Deadwood habitats. Plants such as bryophytes rely on deadwood for habitats, as do a lot of hibernating plants. Oak jewel beetles and cardinal beetles also rely on deadwood.
Removing the deadwood
While anyone could remove deadwood, it’s best for a specialist arborist to do so, as these experts can identify issues, and have the correct training and insurance to remove deadwood safely. An expert will also understand tree duty of care and how this can affect the work required.
Grounds Care Group provides deadwooding services to safely remove the necessary branches before they dangerously break off.
The Benefit of Managing Deadwood on Commercial Properties
Commercial properties can hugely benefit from deadwooding. Not only does it increase the potential profitability from the sale of the logs that are alive, it also creates a healthy environment for trees.
When managed continuously by a tree surgeon, commercial tree deadwood can provide benefits such as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) to a company and create an ecologically diverse workspace.
If you think your commercial property has deadwood, or is even at risk from deadwood damage, get in touch with the expert team at Grounds Care Group now.