The Fallen

Fallen trees, they may be dead but they are full of life. These trees contain a huge array of living organisms, fungi, lichens, invertebrates, mosses and birds. It is recognised nowadays that dead wood is very valuable to the health of a forest. In the past much dead wood was cleared away to be used as fuel. In recent times forestry practice was to tidy up this dead wood to control pests and fungal diseases as well as for aesthetic resons. This is slowly changing now as its value to the woodland is being recognised.

Binning woods in East Lothian. The woods have been here since the early 1700s, but most of it was felled in world war two, with the timber mainly being used to make the airframes for Mosquito fighter bombers. It has since been replanted, so while it has history it could be consider a young woodland. In the middle of the woodland is the Binning memorial wood, where it is possible to have a green environmentally friendly burial. This fallen tree was on the edge of the memorial wood.