"I scramble over casualties of previous storms that are now moss-covered hillocks with their own micro-habitats. Those trees have changed the ecosystem, and these newly fallen ones will change it again. As they gradually senesce, beetles, ants, hoverflies and fungi some quite rare and dependent on deadwood will find a home, and they in turn will change in the different stages of decay. More daylight will filter in, changing the understorey."
"Pioneer species like birch and rowan might gain a foothold, juniper too. The root plates of the fallen trees are my height or taller, and the grit at their base is perfect for capercaillies to dust-bathe, should any be in the vicinity. The holes they create may turn into small pools, attracting aquatic and semiaquatic plants, amphibians and insects, including dragonflies and their larvae. Remaining trees will have more space to bulk out. The wind strengthens."
Autumnal colour shifts mark a transition as larches and birches turn yellow, bronze and copper beneath Scots pines. Storm Amy's winds have windthrown multiple trees, opening gaps and revealing older, gnarled pines. Fallen trunks create moss-covered hillocks that serve as microhabitats and alter ecosystem structure. Gradually decaying wood hosts beetles, ants, hoverflies and fungi, including species reliant on deadwood, and succession through decay stages alters community composition. Increased light will change the understorey, allowing pioneer trees like birch, rowan and juniper to establish. Root plates and holes from toppled trees form dust-bathing sites and small pools that attract amphibians, insects and dragonfly larvae. Remaining trees gain space to bulk up.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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