Industry story
Let aging trees stand: deadwood and duff build healthy soil
gardening sustainability wildlife-habitat
Hannah Fries’s and Margaret Roach argue that the instinct to 'clean up' woodland — removing dead trees and fallen logs — works against garden and forest health. Fallen logs become nurse logs supporting new saplings; standing snags (dead or partly dead trees) provide habitat for cavity-nesting wildlife; and the duff layer — decaying leaves and wood on the forest floor, broken down by microbes, fungi, and insects — is how soil is built. Fries notes that even a tree removed for safety can be cut high, leaving a tall stump that functions as a snag. The practical takeaway: if fallen wood is not a safety hazard, leaving it in place, or orienting it where it will not be a tripping hazard, supports a healthy growing environment rather than undermining it.
Full analysis
Hannah Fries’s and Margaret Roach argue that the instinct to 'clean up' woodland — removing dead trees and fallen logs — works against garden and forest health. Fallen logs become nurse logs supporting new saplings; standing snags (dead or partly dead trees) provide habitat for cavity-nesting wildlife; and the duff layer — decaying leaves and wood on the forest floor, broken down by microbes, fungi, and insects — is how soil is built. Fries notes that even a tree removed for safety can be cut high, leaving a tall stump that functions as a snag. The practical takeaway: if fallen wood is not a safety hazard, leaving it in place, or orienting it where it will not be a tripping hazard, supports a healthy growing environment rather than undermining it.
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