TCV
The community volunteering charity
Deadwood plays a big part in nutrient recycling, slowly releasing nitrogen into the soil for other plants to use. It acts as a carbon storage system, capturing carbon and locking it into the ground. Fallen deadwood also helps the stability of woodland soil and helps prevent soil erosion.
Deadwood is an important micro habitat for birds, mammals, fungi, plants, amphibians, reptiles, insects and even fish!
Is the deadwood in your wood dead good? Find out for yourself with this simple survey. It should take no more than an hour to complete.
Any piece of woodland will do, as long as it is at least 100 square metres in area. Ancient woodland, forestry plantations, trees growing on urban wasteland, wood pasture and scrub are all fine.
Here’s a list of what you’ll need to complete a survey (download them or request that we send them to you):
Other useful equipment:
You can do the Deadwood Survey as a group or by yourself. You can complete it online or on paper and send it to us.
Before you go out to the woodland, answer questions 1-8 (page 4 of the survey booklet). Once you get outside, there are two parts to the survey:
We would love to hear what you found on the survey including what wildlife and insects you discovered. You can submit your survey online or:
The Conservation Volunteers,
Unit M1,
143 Charles Street,
Glasgow,
G21 2QA.
Thank you for taking part in the dead good Deadwood Survey!