Ecosystem

Here we can see how the ecosystem of a natural forest works, thanks to good forest management: you can see that grand branches and dead tree trunks are left here as they are part of the ecosystem. They hold exceptional biodiversity, such as insects that help to decompose all the wood of the branches and the trunks, and many birds, like woodpeckers, that are feeding on those insects.

In the past, people often removed dead or sick trees because they thought it was important for a healthy forest, but keeping these as part of the ecosystem is part of a healthy forest.

A dead tree in a forest is usually a spot of high biodiversity, compared to a forest where all the trees are the same age and are healthy, and where all the dead wood is removed.

United Nations Brussels