Trees Provide Shelter for Wildlife

Oaks are biodiversity powerhouses. 2,300 species are supported by oaks; 326 species depend on oaks. for survival; and 229 species are rarely found on trees other than oaks. (Woodland Trust)

Birds nest in bark crevices, bats roost in old woodpecker holes, and insects thrive in the canopy. Some 85 species of North American birds nest in tree cavities. (USDA Handbook No. 511 ; Cockle et al., 2011)

Trees are often the home of invisible ecosystems – for example, aphids, ants, fungi, mosses, and over 700 species of lichen live on and around oak trees.

Dead wood is a critical habitat and food source for stag beetles during their larval stage. Larvae burrow into rotting logs, stumps, and buried timber to feed on the wood, while adult females lay eggs in the soil near the wood sources.