Forest
Stewardship News Release
March
24 , 2006- For Immediate Release
Contact: Allyson
Muth , Phone: 814-863-0401 E-mail: abm173@psu.edu
Woodlot Encounters a Snag
Written by Jim Finley, 814-863-0401, fj4@psu.edu
To most people, a snag is a problem - an obstacle. A snag is that nasty pulled thread in a favorite sweater. Or, a snag is that issue that confronts a project, keeping you from completing your work. A snag could be okay, though, as you could snag an opportunity - capturing something that almost got by you.
Woodlots should have snags. In this case a snag is an opportunity that you want to capture. Snags are those dead standing trees that improve our woodlots for wildlife. In the forest, that rough, dead or dying tree, with its decaying limbs and shaggy bark is a haven for many wildlife species. Estimates are that 35 species of birds common to Northeastern forests use snags for at least part of their habitat needs - nesting, feeding, or perching. In addition, snags increase the value of woodlots for many mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and even fungi.
Big snags as well as little snags have value for wildlife using a woodlot. Small snags, 3 inches in diameter, head high, and under the forest canopy are often places where insect feeding birds perch during their foraging activities. Larger snags, often the bigger the better, provide even more opportunities for wildlife use and human observation.
Walking through a woodlot you might have noted the small and large holes excavated by woodpeckers as they repeatedly visit a snag. It is amazing to encounter a snag riddled with holes, large and small, and to marvel at the "chips" scattered across the forest floor. Those holes have immense value for the bird that created them and as well as the other species that use them for homes and feeding sites in subsequent years.
Ideally, a woodlot should have snags of varying sizes and conditions scattered throughout. Four or five snags per acre, 10 inches in diameter and larger is a reasonable goal. To attain and maintain this goal takes planning as a woodlot should have a continuous supply of snags. So, as one snag decays and falls, another one should be coming on to replace it. Sometimes in our woodlots we should consider creating snags, especially if they are uncommon. Simply girdling a tree every few years so that it begins decline is relatively easy.
Snags, to some people, suggest poor stewardship. Firewood cutters often seek out snags to harvest for next year’s wood. But, in fact, snags signal good wildlife habitat. Take the time to enjoy the snags in a woodlot - allow them to pull you in and you will learn to appreciate their value. Snags, those dead and dying trees, create habitat and interest in a woodlot. They represent a level of forest health and diversity. Consider creating a snag as a great snag for the wildlife in your woodlot.
The Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program provides publications on a variety of topics related to woodland management for private landowners. For a list of free publications, call 1-800-235-WISE (toll-free), send e-mail to , or write to: Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Resources Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, 320 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and USDA Forest Service, in partnership with the Penn State's Forest Resources Extension, sponsor the Forest Stewardship Program in Pennsylvania.
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