The Forest Graveyard: The Importance of Dead Trees, Bark, and Water

Abstract

The forest floor is the forest’s graveyard. There, broken branches and fallen trunks are laid to rest. However, this deadwood still has an important role to play. New deadwood is still covered in bark—a tissue that protects a living tree’s insides from the outside world. The bark makes it difficult for water to enter the dead tree. It repels the rain and dew, as if the dead tree still needs this protection. Since deadwood cannot rebuild its bark, the bark slowly breaks down over time. As the bark decomposes, rain and dew are no longer repelled, and the deadwood begins to store more and more water. Recent findings show that, as its bark disappears, the amount of water that can be stored by deadwood changes significantly. This role of deadwood on the forest’s water cycle has consequences for soils and the organisms living in deadwood.