Trees felled in storm 'helping support nature'

Trees felled at a national park in Devon during Storm Darragh are helping support insects, conservationists have said.

Exmoor National Park Authority said the storm - which brought winds of up to 88mph (142km/h) in December - caused "significant damage and disruption" to the park.

However, senior woodland officer Graeme McVittie said the "silver lining" was dead wood could help improve Exmoor's ecosystem and the park was strategically cutting certain trees to help support wildlife.

"It's proved useful, not only repurposed for local, sustainable timber, but for nature colonisation by invertebrates and dead wood-boring insects," he said.

McVittie said: "We've learnt so much over the last few decades about the potential nature benefits of dead wood.

"Standing columns of damaged trees can be great habitats for birds like woodpeckers.

"In fact, the ENPA woodland team, with the help of specialist contractors, are working on the 'veteranisation' of certain trees to help support bats, birds and butterflies."

Veteranisation is the process of deliberately damaging younger trees to speed up the development of microhabitats, mimicking older trees.

It is said to encourage fungi and insect growth, which in turn helps feed bats, birds and butterflies.

Mr McVittie said woodland management was not just about increasing the number of trees but also resilience, flood management, supporting the migration of species and creating refuge for rare lichens.

"With extreme weather events on the rise, it's vital we factor climate adaption into our approach," he said.

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