Removal of dead wood
Standing dead wood and fallen timber is often removed during 'tidying up' activities. This has a number of impacts, including:
- loss of tree hollows that are used as nests and dens by native birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and other animals
- loss of habitat for invertebrates and fungi that depend on dead wood for their survival
- introduction of diseases such as the root-rot fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi
- increased exposure of the soil surface to wind and water, resulting in increased soil erosion and sedimentation.
Removal of dead wood and dead trees - key threatening process listing
The NSW Scientific Committee has declared the removal of dead wood to be a 'key threatening process' in NSW. See its reasons for making this declaration.
Removal of dead wood, trees & logs - factsheet (PDF - 45KB)
This explains why the removal of dead wood was listed as a key threatening process, and outlines the effect of its listing.
Page last updated: 28 February 2011
