Ecology

If a tree falls in the forest…

Amanda Markle
Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve

(8/2023) … should we clean it up?

I awake to thunder. Flashes of lightning light up my room as a powerful thunderstorm rolls in and rain pelts the roof. I count the time between flashes and the rolling booms that follow. Ten seconds; about two miles away. Three seconds; less than a mile now. It’s thrilling to listen to; one of my favorite parts of summer. In the back of my mind, however, I’m listening closely to the wind, and the clatter of branches as they begin to fall out of trees, wondering just how much destruction will await outside after this storm.

The next morning, I arrive to work at Strawberry Hill, an environmental education center in Fairfield with over thirty acres of wooded land, and start to assess the damage. An enormous branch from a maple tree next to our office is in the yard but hasn’t hit anything. A large fallen branch stuck on top of our bathrooms luckily missed all the windows and is quickly cleaned up. Then it’s time to walk the trails. Huge piles of leaf litter and debris lay in snaking lines down the trails. Gravel and small rocks are upturned; all signs that water must have rushed in and washed through quickly, but only a few trees have fallen, and none directly on the trail. A relief: clean-up from this storm will be nothing more than moving a few branches and cleaning up some leaves, but that’s often not the case. Fallen trees and branches are a constant challenge for anyone managing a mature wooded area. Already this summer we’ve had several large trees fall on our trails, and it will certainly happen again. When the inevitable does happen, what do we do?

Tree falls happen for all sorts of reasons. Dead trees dry and crumble, become riddled with holes from bugs, birds, and animals seeking shelter, and eventually fall away, sometimes in pieces, and sometimes all at once. Ice in the winter can weigh down branches and cause them to snap and moisture in the soil freezing and thawing can make roots unstable. In the spring and summer, trees become top-heavy with leaves. The hot, humid days of summer create rapidly rising warm, moist air, forcing cool air downwards to create powerful wind gusts and thunderstorms. Each leaf on a tree acts as its own windcatcher, creating enormous amounts of pushing force, at times uprooting the entire plant.

There’s a certain sense of grief that comes along with a fallen tree. The ones that fall are often the largest and oldest, the ones that have been a part of the landscape for generations, and their sudden absence is jarring. These trees are homes to birds and mammals, and their fall can leave babies abandoned and homeless. And then there is the mess. Fallen trees can take up enormous amounts of space, and for many people, are a complete eyesore. But as is the case with many things in nature, what looks like a disaster isn’t only a loss. Fallen trees are an essential part of any woodland ecosystem, and in most cases, the best thing to do with them is nothing at all.

A fallen tree immediately benefits the forest around it. Tree falls create the perfect shelter and hiding spots for animals like snakes, chipmunks, and birds. Trees that fall into water create shady spots where fish congregate and sunny resting places for turtles to bask. Salamanders and snails find refuge in the moist bark. A tree fall provides not only homes for the creatures of the forest; it’s a feast as well. Insects and fungi quickly move in and begin to break down the newly fallen wood. Their presence attracts spiders, and millipedes, who in turn become food for amphibians, birds, and eventually snakes, raccoons, skunks, and other animals. As the tree is slowly eaten away, holes and hollows form, creating niches for nests and dens. Nutrients from the tree are broken down and slowly released back into the soil to be used by other plants.

The presence of a fallen tree can provide a myriad of opportunities to the ecosystem, but the absence of a standing tree is just as advantageous. When a tree falls in a heavily wooded area, it opens up the canopy and brings a flood of sunlight to the forest floor; sometimes for the first time in generations. This sunlight brings a wave of new growth to the understory. Plants unable to survive in the shade flourish in the newly created niche. Flowers and shrubs begin to grow, and new trees have a chance to become established. Plants aren’t the only ones that benefit from a gap in the tree cover. The open space creates an easy hunting ground for birds of prey, who now have a clear line of sight to potential meals scurrying about below.

Tree falls are a natural, common, and beneficial occurrence in yards, forests, and any wooded area, and from a naturalist standpoint, it’s best to leave them where they fall. In reality, that’s not always an option when humans are sharing that natural space. Dead trees and tree falls can cause serious damage and safety hazards when they are near buildings, trails, or heavily trafficked areas. Fallen trees can block trails and make them difficult to navigate. Uprooted trees create holes that can make for tripping and fall hazards and make new spots where erosion quickly deteriorates a trail. And, as much as we might like to see only the beauty of a fallen tree and the new homes and food sources it creates, leaving a fallen tree sprawled across one's yard can be more of a mess than many homeowners (or their neighbors) are willing to tolerate.

Still, there is a balance to be found in dealing with tree falls in spaces where humans are using the land. When a tree falls in a spot where it blocks our trails, we typically move it to the side rather than clear it out completely, so it can remain beneficial to the ecosystem. Sections of tree trunks or logs from fallen trees in yards can be charming decorative additions to a garden, where they add not only natural visual interest but a convenient home for beneficial insects and welcome garden visitors like toads.

Loss, change, and messiness are inevitable parts of the natural world, but tree falls give us a wonderful opportunity to better understand the growth, opportunity, and renewal they make space for. What seems like a disaster, when looked at more closely, is actually quite beautiful. Tree falls are an important source of shelter and food for animals, plants, and fungi. They create a space for new life to move in and blossom. And, when left alone to let nature take its course, they are an ideal spot for humans to bird watch, roll logs in search of salamanders and bugs, and enjoy some of the forest's prettiest plants. As is the case with so many things in nature, when it comes to dealing with trees that have fallen in our shared natural spaces, the less we interfere with the process, the more we all benefit.

Amanda Markle is the Environmental Education Manager of the Strawberry Hill Foundation. Strawberry Hill inspires stewardship of our natural world by
connecting the community with educational opportunities.
 Learn more by visiting StrawberryHill.org.