Snags: More important to wildlife than you might think

Published 2:21 pm Friday, May 16, 2014

There’s a wonderful old snag that’s within falling distance of a corner of our house. It’s a snag we intend to leave. All that’s left is the trunk, a restaurant that’s served so many woodpeckers, including a pair of pileated woodpeckers.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has a well-done snag (also called wildlife trees) page on its website. Go to wdfw.wa.gov/living/snags to learn about their importance.

The text starts out, “Hard to believe, but trees can actually provide more habitats for wildlife dead than when they are alive.”

West of the Cascades, 39 species of birds and 14 species of mammals depend on tree cavities for their survival; nearly 45 species forage in them.

The site has everything you need to know about snags and their place in the ecosystem, and it’s visually interesting as well.