Study of Deadwood Structures and Their Wildlife Significance at Shergarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Baran (Rajasthan, India)
Sr No:
4
Page No:
32-36
Language:
English
Licence:
CC BY-NC 4.0
Authors:
Krishnenda Singh Nama*, Kiran Choudhary
Published Date:
2026-04-25
Abstract:
Deadwood is a critical structural and functional component of forest ecosystems, influencing biodiversity, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling. This study examined spatial heterogeneity in deadwood structure across multiple forest blocks, focusing on snag type distribution, diameter variability, species composition, and associated wildlife observations. Significant variation among sites suggests that deadwood dynamics are strongly shaped by local disturbance regimes, stand age, species composition, and anthropogenic influences. Blocks dominated by stumps likely reflect advanced decomposition stages or historical structural collapse, whereas sites with higher proportions of full snags indicate recent mortality events or greater structural persistence. The presence of extremely large snags highlights the ecological importance of legacy trees, which contribute disproportionately to carbon storage and long-term structural stability. However, weak correlations between maximum girth and wildlife use suggest that decay stage and cavity development are stronger determinants of ecological function than size alone. Higher species diversity in snag formation was associated with increased structural complexity, potentially enhancing ecosystem resilience by supporting diverse decomposer communities and extending temporal continuity of deadwood availability. This study surveys 187 snags across five forest blocks to analyze species composition, structural decay stages, and evidence of wildlife use. Statistical analysis reveals that while Anogeissus pendula is the most frequent snag-forming species, larger diameter snags like Terminalia bellirica and Mitragyna parviflora show higher instances of specialized wildlife use, such as nesting and cavity formation.
Keywords:
Snags, Wildlife, Carbon sequestration, Diversity index, ecosystem.