The piles of sawn, fallen and dead wood in the Park look very untidy (or do they?) BUT …
There is much more wildlife to be found in dead wood than in living wood.
Dead wood provides shelter and food for countless tiny invertebrates, which in turn provide food for birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles.
Stag beetles are endangered. They spend most of their life (from three to seven years) underground as larvae and emerge one summer to breed. They love rotting damp wood. They are most common in the south east of England.
Ash, elm, beech and oak are good logs for a rotting woodpile and the bark should be left on. Logs in contact with the soil are most likely to attract invertebrates such as woodlice.
Decaying wood supports a wide range of fungi. Fungi break down the wood to recycle nutrients into the natural environment.
Our gardens and parks are far too tidy. It is estimated that in an unmanaged woodland environment 25% of timber will be dead wood. In a managed setting only 10% at most will be dead wood attractive to wildlife.
Why not build a log pile in your garden?