Monday, July 6, 2009

Nurse Log. Wedgwood

















The famous Pacific Northwest nurse log debuts, as a design element, in a Wedgwood residential property. Very brave. Great for attracting wildlife.-R

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nurse log
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A nurse log is a fallen tree which, as it decays, provides ecological facilitation to seedlings. Broader definitions include providing shade or support to other plants. Some of the advantages a nurse log offers to a seedling are: water, moss thickness, leaf litter, Mycorrhizae, disease protection, nutrients, and sunlight
Various mechanical and biological processes contribute to the breakdown of lignin in fallen trees, resulting in the formation of niches of increasing size, which tend to fill with forest litter such as soil from spring floods, needles, moss, mushrooms and other flora. Mosses also can cover the outside of a log, hastening its decay and supporting other species as rooting media and by retaining water. Small animals such as various squirrels often perch or roost on nurse logs, adding to the litter by food debris and scat. The decay of this detritus contributes to the formation of a rich humus that provides a seedbed and adequate conditions for germination.
Nurse logs often provide a seedbed to conifers in a temperate rain forest ecosystem.