From Michael Kellock
I was surprised to read that Europe is only now being advised of the ecological importance of forest litter (30 October, p 6). In Australia, litter has long been recognised as a vital component of the complex organic web that makes up forest life. In my home state, for example, where most rural roads have a herbaceous edge of one sort or another, it is illegal to trim or remove roadside vegetation, dead or alive, other than for safety or access reasons.
While the result may look grossly untidy to the anal-retentive, it fulfils a wide variety of useful functions. Dead or broken material remains a useful part of the ecosystem until it has completely decomposed. The resultant food chain ranges from the microscopic to small mammals. Most importantly, the road edges are corridors from one habitat or food source to another, an essential service where agriculture has displaced natural habitats.
Foster, Victoria, Australia
