Add woody debris to forests

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

50%
Certainty

29%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

If large amounts of wood are available, then it may be possible to deliver the benefits of having woody debris in forests without having to damage the trees themselves.

Key messages

A randomised, replicated, controlled study from Australia found that brown treecreeper numbers were higher in plots with large amounts of dead wood added, compared to control plots or those with less debris added.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

In Gunbower State Forest, Victoria, Australia, a randomised, replicated, controlled study (MacNally et al. 2002) found that brown treecreeper Climacteris picumnus numbers were consistently higher in plots of red river gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis forest with coarse woody debris (aged fallen wood >10 cm in diameter) added to them, compared to control plots (1.5-2.2 birds/ha in plots with 40-80 Mg/ha or more of debris added vs. 0.6 and 0.4 birds/ha for 20 Mg/ha and no debris added treatments). Birds appeared not to discriminate between logs and tree crowns.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Mac Nally R., Horrocks G. & Pettifer L. L. (2002) Experimental evidence for potential beneficial effects of fallen timber in forests. Ecological Applications, 12, 1588-1594.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

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