Deadwood
Deadwood is an important element in wooded habitats. Most forests and woodlands contain deadwood. It may occur as dead or rotting branches on a living tree, standing dead trees (known as snags), stumps, logs, or other fallen timber. Deadwood may be large, small, wet, dry, old, recent, coniferous or deciduous. Most woodpeckers need deadwood to thrive. Deadwood is essential habitat for many saproxylic insects which are important prey for many woodpecker species. Woodpeckers also use deadwood for nesting sites or as drumming posts. In Hungary, the White-backed Woodpecker is only found in forests with high levels of deadwood. One of the forthcoming tasks of our working group will be to identify all the forests with deadwood ecosystems in Hungary and encourage their protection as habitats for White-backed Woodpeckers and other deadwood dependent wildlife.
