Keeping dead trees as intact as possible generally provides the best wildlife value, as there are different organisms that benefit from the various stages of decay as the wood breaks down. (So the longer you can give the decay process by keeping pieces large, the more organisms it can support.) We realize that keeping a dead snag (standing dead trunk, sometimes with a few branch stubs) might not be feasible in some situations, but when it is safe to do so, hollowed-out nest cavities created by woodpeckers can also serve bluebirds, screech owls, flying squirrels, and other species. A snag left standing doesn't have to be preserved at its full height, if falling at that size would still strike a building; in that case, it can be shortened but kept until it falls on its own years later if it won't damage anything at that point.

For felled logs and branches, they can be used as part of a brush pile if you have room to create one. Logs can also be used as bed liners for garden beds or pathways if you want, or the wood chips from mulching the tree on-site (via the arborist's chipper) serve as a great mulch. Small twigs can be gradually added to a compost pile, if you have one, or left in smaller piles for smaller animals. The linked pages provide more information.

Ecologically, removing dead trees from a property as wood chips is the least-desirable option, given that (a) it takes energy and pollution-generating vehicles to move the material to either a landfill or another dumping ground (other gardeners might be the recipients...wood chip drops are becoming quite popular as gardeners learn of their uses), and (b) chipping the wood renders it useless to all of the organisms that would be utilizing dead tree wood before it got to that degree of degradation. That said, not everyone can accommodate all of the debris from one or more downed mature trees, and wood chips are still a valuable resource for the gardener, and as they decompose, they still add organic matter to the soil like compost does (they are essentially self-composting in place if used atop a pathway, garden bed, or left in a pile). Moving wood from one place to another can also risk transporting tree pests and diseases, though in this case, that's probably not a major concern (especially once the tree is chipped).

Miri

Hi Miri,

You're welcome!

We don't have information specific to using logs as bed liners...it was just an idea to share for one way to add aesthetic interest to planting beds or use-up woody debris that keeps it on a property until it eventually decays. An image example of a brush pile-like edging border around a garden bed next to a path is attached. (It's woven and perhaps more effort than you had in mind, but it's just an example of a more decorative use for downed wood.) I don't have an image handy of log pieces being used in a similar way, but if you do a web image search for keywords like "log garden bed edging" you'll probably see examples of either long sections of logs used to edge planting beds (or a path), or short sections of branches (say, 8 inches wide or so) that are placed vertically around a planting area or path that serves as decorative edging. They're usually sunk into the ground a few inches for stability, but it really just depends on how you want to use them.

Miri

Very helpful. Thanks again,

You're welcome.