By looking at this
snow, one can begin to see the difference, a few degrees can make.
270. What makes a healthy tree or plant? The availability in the proper
proportions of the right "STEW" - Space, Temperature, Elements and Water.
And the energy of the sun will be used optimally making a tree into the most
efficient system on earth. Everything is recycled. How about animals?
271. Sound CWD provides secure travel corridors for small mammals (Maser
et al. 1979; Maser and Trappe 1984; Carter 1993), and provides subnivean
habitat during winter. (Voller and Harrison, 1998).
273. Logs become habitat for a variety of invertebrate species shortly
after falling. CWD is used by invertebrates as a source of food, for nesting
and brooding sites, for protection from predators and Environmental extremes,
as a source of construction material, and as overwintering and hibernating
sites (Samuelsson et al. 1994) (Voller and Harrison, 1998).
274. CWD affects temperature as well as moisture, which can have a
benefit for certain beneficial fungi (Amaranthus, Trappe and Bednar, 1994).
275. As decay proceeds, a fallen tree begins to more closely be hugged
by the soil, it buffers it (the soil) against fluctuations in air temperature
(Maser and Trappe, 1984, pg 13-par3).
276. A fallen tree performs various ecological functions between the
time it falls and the time it is finally incorporated into the soil. If it
lays up-and-down slope or falls across other downed trees, most of its volume
is initially suspended above the ground. Such elevated relief adds
complexity to the forest floor by creating cover and shade (Maser, Tarrant,
Trappe and Franklin, 1988, pg41-par6).
277. Martens select habitats partly on the basis of thermal microhabitats
(Taylor 1993), such as those provided by CWD (Lofroth 1993; Buskirk and Powell
1994; Buskirk and Ruggiero 1994) (Voller and Harrison, 1998).
278. Symplastless wood provides physical structure to the ecosystem
and fills such roles as sediment storage (Wilford 1984), protecting the forest
floor from mineral soil erosion and mechanical disturbance during harvesting
activities. It ameliorates the affects of cold air drainage on plants, helps
stabilize slopes and minimizes soil erosion (Maser et al. 1988) (Voller and
Harrison, 1998).
279. Conclusion: What purpose and need is there, that the capacity
and ability, of CWD, to function as thermal microhabitats, cover, shade provider,
subnivean habitat during winter, protection provider as well as ameliorating
the affects of cold air drainage on plants and potential to buffer soil against
fluctuations in air temperature go unobserved in the “Burn and Clearcut Project”.
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