Birds and Mount St. Helens

[cldavis at xmission dot com]

I was browsing the internet one day and came across a site about Mount St.
Helens (http://www.fs.fed.us./gpnf/mshnvm/).  I subsequently wrote to them
asking whether or not the woodpecker population had increased because of
all the standing dead trees and if they have plans to remove any of the
trees.  Todd Cullings, Assistant Visitor Centers Director of the Mount St.
Helens National Volcanic Monument wrote back with this information:

"The Monument was established to protect features created by the eruption
and to allow natural processes to occur without human intervention, so the
trees in the picture will be allowed to decay.  The blown down trees are
decomposing much faster than trees would decompose in a cool wet forest,
where moisture levels can actually inhibit or slow the growth of bacteria
and fungi.  In the blast zone trees are buried half the year beneath snow
and get soaked, then get baked by the sun during the summer.  This wetting
and drying cycle is causing them to dry rot very quickly.  There are indeed
lot of woodpeckers.  If you are a bird that likes to nest beside logs or in
standing dead trees, you love Mount St. Helens!  Both Downy and Hairy
woodpeckers, as well as the Northern Flicker are abundant.  Cavity nesting
birds like the Mountain Bluebirds, Tree and Violet Green Swallows, and the
Vaux's Swift are also very common."

If you have time, take a look at the site.  They have some great pictures of
the progress of Mother Nature in the area.

Carol

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