Totholz und alte Bäume

After the woodpeckers have moved out, the tree hollows are used as a nesting site, hiding place or food depot for forest owls, dormices, bats or squirrels. Deadwood on the ground, on the other hand, is used by amphibians and reptiles as a hiding place and for wintering. Many insects (e.B. the stag beetle) as well as mosses, fungi and lichens are also dependent on rotten wood. In addition, deadwood is important for the rejuvenation of moist mountain forests, where half of all spruce trees grow on Moderholz. Because germination on wood creates competitive advantages over the grass and herb growing down on the ground. A lack of deadwood endangers biodiversity and the forest ecosystem.