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TerrestrialTerrestrial communities are upland areas not associated with streams and wetlands. They provide essential habitat for a host of birds, mammals, and the adult phases of amphibians that live in forested areas. Uplands may also include other unique habitat features such as caves, cliffs, and rocky slopes that have unique value for certain species of wildlife. Much of the plant and animal life found in forests in the Pacific Northwest occurs in specific stages of forest development. This linkage is directly related to the age of the trees in the stand and the amount and diversity of the understory (the trees, shrubs and vegetation on the forest floor). Regular thinning of the forest as part of forest management accelerates the development of the understory, enriching the wildlife habitat in our forests. Other important terrestrial habitat features include standing dead trees ("snags"), downed logs that provide nesting and foraging habitat for woodpeckers and other birds, and den sites for mammals that make their homes inside dead or decaying trees or logs. |
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