The Basic Need...
     
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Most visitors to forest lands do not
recognize the value of dead, dying, and hollow trees for wildlife and
fish. Many people see dead trees as things without use except as firewood.
They have come to view the removal of dead tree material as an aid to fire
prevention. Only in the last 20 years have scientists discovered just how
crucial ANIMAL INNS are to healthy forests. Dead tree material left
to rot in the forest provides valuable nutrients for soil development and
rejuvenation.
Nearly a third of all forest creatures depend on
standing dead or fallen trees for their survival. ANIMAL INNS provide
shelter, nest sites, and feeding areas for over 1200 species of birds,
mammals, amphibians, and reptiles; over 60% of which feed on insects.
These insect-eating species act as natural biological regulators to dampen
the effects of insect outbreaks in forested lands, thereby performing an
important ecosystem function. Fish benefit from trees that have fallen
into stream channels.
Several billion acres of forestlands across the United States, including managed forests in industrial and non-industrial private ownership and publicly administered lands, provide potential habitat for cavity-using wildlife. These species contribute to maintaining healthy forests. We have an obligation, as land stewards for long-term sustainable forest, to inform citizens and land-owners of the value of dead, dying, and hollow trees. We must actively encourage the maintenance of some habitat in locations where it can be done safely, with low risk of human injury or property damage; and in conjunction with a sustainable woods product industry.
What
is Animal Inn? • Teachers/Interpreters
Habitat Management • What to Do •
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