A snag is a stand of dead or dying trees with a notable loss of leaves or needles. Snags serve as habitat and resources for a variety of wildlife, including birds, mammals, insects, and fungi. Tree decomposition provides cavities for nesting or shelter. Dead wood supports the "dead web," the detrivore food web of species that feed on decayed substances. Snags contribute to the nutrient cycle as they break down and release essential elements back into the soil system.

Snag

A till mound with a height greater than 3-50 meters. The mound comprises rock, sand, and sediments, which are worked by glacier processes during the Pleistocene (2.6 million years ago) and Holocene (11,700 years ago) glacial periods, transported, and deposited by glaciers and glacier meltwater streams. Over time, these mounds accumulate soils and are established by vegetation that prefers drier substrates. These mounds bound the lower valley riparian areas.

Till mound

Till Mound

Shrub-form willows approximately 1-5 m high are found intermittently spaced in the open marsh on higher substrates with less hydric influence. On slightly higher ground, the willows clump into groves. The plant will establish beaver dams with root systems reinforcing the structure, making it less prone to breaching by fast-moving water. 

Willow (Salix sp.)

Singleshot Mountain is situated in the Lewis Range of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. The mountain's height is 2,417 meters in elevation, and is seen from the Red Eagle Trail floodplain beaver pond. The feature was named in 1885 for a rifle shot discharged by an early park explorer. 

Singleshot Mountain

The hyporheic zone is the area beneath and next to a stream, creek, or river. In this area, hyporheic exchange occurs as the water from the surface and groundwater circulate and mix. This mixing assists nutrients and oxygen flow between the water and soil, and it supports riparian plant and animal life supporting biodiversity in wetlands.

Photosphere processing...