The great significance of dead wood for forest biodiversity has recently been reviewed in detail by Stokland et al. ( Old trees provide a range of micro-habitats for many species, including stable and varied bark structure and chemistry, a variety of dead woody substrates, and various cavities. Slow-growing old trees will have particular wood qualities of significance for several species. Several specialized species either move in from distant, previously burnt sites or lie dormant between fire events for a given site.