Some of the advantages a nurse log offers to a seedling are: water, moss thickness, leaf litter, mycorrhizae, disease protection, nutrients, and sunlight. Recent research into soil pathogens suggests that in some forest communities, pathogens hostile to a particular tree species appear to gather in the vicinity of that species, and to a degree inhibit seedling growth.[1] Nurse logs may therefore provide some measure of protection from these pathogens, thus promoting greater seedling survivor-ship.
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Nurse Log