Flying squirrels have been called flying foresters because of the role they may play in promoting tree growth and soil fertility. These squirrels feed on a variety of underground fungi called mychorrhizae, and so spread their spores throughout the forest in their droppings. These fungi, which live off the sugars produced by trees, enhance the ability of tree roots to absorb nutrients, minerals and water. The fungi themselves provide habitat to a species of bacteria which captures nitrogen from the air to provide fertility to the soil. To maintain a healthy forest you would not want to interfere with the abundance and distribution of either mychorrhizae fungi or flying squirrels. Flying squirrels prefer older mixed wood forests. They make their nests in dead standing trees called snags, often moving into the cavities excavated by pileated woodpeckers (the one’s that remind you of Woody).

Ecological Function   /   Pest Control   /   Flying Foresters    /   Dead Wood