Today, many nature-loving home-owners are trying to protect and enjoy some of our rapidly-vanishing wildlife habitat by buying properties hich include woodlots. Some may even purchase larger tracts of land with more extensive forested areas.

1. T oday, many nature-loving
home-owners are trying to
protect and enjoy some of our
rapidly-vanishing wildlife habitat
Managing Woodlands by buying properties which
include woodlots. Some may
even purchase larger tracts of
For Wildlife land with more extensive
forested areas.
Very often, and with the best
of intentions, these landowners
For more nature habitat information
declare that they are going to
Visit these helpful websites: leave the woods untouched, “for
the sake of wildlife."
A Plant's Home
A Bird's Home Although their intentions are
A Homesteader's Home
good, they don’t necessarily
represent the best approach
for maximizing plant, animal,
and bird diversity on a piece of
woodland property.
This is one of those instances
where the “good news" and the
“bad news" are the same: one
size doesn’t fit all. Each
property will have different “site
factors," including variations in
soil, moisture, sunlight, existing
vegetation, and local wildlife.
That makes it impossible to
recommend the same practices
for every property.
In addition, different
approaches are needed to
Just as you would
make a plan for the
rest of your landscape,
you should also study
your wooded areas in
terms of what
management
techniques you can
use to reach your
wildlife goals.
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2. attract specific species to a property you have spring seeps those species which require
given area. On the plus side, which will run quietly all winter, mixed vegetation.
however, this means that you or vernal pools which supply
have the opportunity to think critical habitat before drying up Wild turkeys, for instance, look
carefully about what you in the summer. Whatever your for grasses and insects in open
ultimately hope to accomplish, water resources, they should be clearings in the spring and
and then formulate a specific valued and carefully protected summer, and nuts and berries in
plan to be implemented in for wildlife. mature forests in the fall and
stages, as time and money winter.
allow. Cover can be anything from a
brush pile to a stone wall, a hole The first thing to consider is
You should study your in a tree to a rotting log. All the overall health of your
property as it relates to the types of vegetation, from forest, regardless of its size.
Law of Minimums, which herbaceous openings to shrubs Many of us, in response to the
declares that, when a factor and mature trees, can be used dismaying loss of woodlands
approaches its minimum, its for nesting and escape cover, due to industrial and
relative effect becomes depending on the species of development pressures, have
increasingly great. wildlife. come to think of every tree as
sacred.
In other words, whatever you Don’t overlook the
are most lacking may have the importance of evergreens, We look at the cutting of a
greatest impact, and you can which provide critical single trunk as an act akin to
take steps to enhance that protection in the winter, as murder, and take the unbending
missing element. well as food when supplies are viewpoint that “more is better."
scarce. In some cases, we might literally
All species of wildlife require be loving our trees to death.
food, water, cover and space. Tree cavities can exist in both
With thoughtful management, living and dead trunks, and “Save the old growth forests"
you can ensure that your ideally there will be a variety of has become a rallying cry, and in
woodland provides the maximum sizes, at different heights, some parts of the country it
of each. throughout the woods. may be valid.
Plants should supply a variety We can’t always control the Certain parts of our nation
of food types, ripening at amount of space that we can contain ancient stands of
different times. Blackberry and provide, but many species don’t trees which should be revered
cherry are favored by 56 require a lot of acreage. For and protected from those who
species of birds and animals, those that do, perhaps you can would harvest them strictly
and are available during the get neighbors with adjoining for financial gain. Sadly, for
summer and fall. Oak is a properties to work with you to most of us, the trees on our
delicacy for 43 species, and can create a larger habitat. This own properties don’t fall into
provide nourishment in the may be particularly valuable for that category.
spring and winter.
Rotting logs attract insects,
Conservation can be defined as the wise use of our
an important food source for
many species, and rock piles are natural environment: it is, in the final analysis, the
havens for the reptiles and highest form of national thrift –
amphibians that feed the prevention of waste and despoilment while
carnivorous birds and mammals.
preserving, improving, and renewing the quality and
A water source doesn’t have usefulness of all our resources.
to be a large pond or a flowing – President John F. Kennedy
stream. Perhaps on your
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 2 A Plant's Home

3. On the east coast, for shrubs and brambles, which are to provide habitat for a greater
instance, there was almost no in turn overshadowed by shade- variety of plants and animals.
forest left by the late 1850’s, intolerant tree species.
after the combined forces of To rearrange a common
farming, and the ability of These would include pines, saying, too often we fail to see
steam engines to move timber cherry, birch, and yellow poplar, the trees for the forest. Take a
for financial gain, cleared the trees which you generally find walk on your own property and
land of trees. Thus, our mature growing in open areas or along study specifics, rather than
eastern forests today are not the edges of established just looking at the overall
original, and, more importantly, woodlands, where they can grab “woods."
they are all about the same enough sunlight to survive.
age. Take along a notebook and
The final stage sees the some plant identification guides
While some species of wildlife dominance of hardwoods, if you are not yet familiar with
do need mature forests to including oaks, sugar maples, what grows there.
provide habitat, many others and beeches. The entire process
require younger, secondary takes about a century when Is there a predominance of
growth forests, or low-growing nature is left to mature on its just one or two species of
open spaces, and these are in own. trees. Do the trees have space
short supply. to grow, with full crowns of
In addition to the loss of leaves in the top canopy of the
To understand the crisis, it is plant diversity, the problem woods, or are the trunks too
necessary to think about the with having the majority of our close together and the leaf
workings of forest ecology. You forests reach maturity at the crowns crowded and
might be familiar with the term same time is that we no longer suppressed. Are there
“forest succession." This simply have the other stages – the hardwood seedlings growing
describes the normal process prairies, shrubby areas, and with enough light to nurture
whereby nature, when not shade-intolerant trees – them.
interfered with by humans or available for those wildlife
natural disasters, follows a species which require them for Oak seedlings, for example, will
constant and distinct pattern survival. only grow in sunlight, so a solid
of regeneration. canopy of shade means that
The answer isn’t to cut down there will be no younger oaks
Starting with cleared land, all of our mature trees and coming along to replace the
the first plants to appear are start over, but rather to older ones which die in the
grasses and herbaceous become aware of the problem future.
perennials. These are followed by and take reasonable measures
If you notice a lot of stumps,
or double trunks (resulting from
cutting and resprouting), you
can assume that your woods
were logged in the past.
What about the “understory"
OVERSTORY
plants, those perennials and
shrubs which should exist at
different heights underneath
the taller trees. Are there any.
UNDERSTORY
What types are thriving, and is
there a variety of species.
HERBACEOUS LEVEL
Often today the understory
Forest Stratification
vanishes, due to lack of
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 3 A Plant's Home

4. sunlight or deer browsing, or thinning, paying you for the Other species are “edge
becomes a “monoculture," wood that he removes. dwellers," thriving in the shelter
consisting of only one species. of shrubs and small trees on the
Spicebush is a nice shrub, for In that case, it is highly fringe of the woods, and making
instance, and provides good recommended that you hire a use of nearby grasses to find
crops of berries, but on its own consultant forester who will insects and seeds.
certainly can’t sustain the come in and mark the
variety of wildlife that you’d like appropriate trees to be Another group of birds,
to encourage. harvested, working towards notably game birds like woodcock
your goal of improving woodland and grouse, depends on open
This is the time when you diversity and wildlife habitat. areas bordered by fairly dense,
have to start to make some low, shrubby vegetation in which
difficult decisions. You may Unlike some commercial they can hide from predators.
love each and every individual enterprises, your forester won’t
tree, but would careful and be targeting just the largest, The same diversity in habitat
thoughtful thinning of the most valuable trees. He or she requirements applies to other
woods be better for the health will put the job proposal out for types of wildlife, so establishing
of the whole ecosystem. bids, and will do the negotiating priorities may be necessary.
and follow-through with the
Would removing some trunks logger, making sure that the If you have some open areas,
open up the canopy and let in remaining forest is left as you might let a portion grow up
more light, thus encouraging undamaged as possible. naturally, allowing the grasses
seedlings to grow, and letting to get tall enough to provide
more diverse understory plants If you are planning extensive good habitat.
develop. improvements to your
property, selling some of the If this area comes abruptly
Would the cutting back of a lumber which is overcrowded up to the woods, consider
shrub species that has crowded might be a way to finance your either cutting down some of
out most other kinds of plants other plans, while improving the trees along the outer edge
allow for more variety of wildlife habitat at the same time. of the woodland and letting
food and nesting options. nature replace them with
How do you decide what shrubs and seedlings; or speed
If your woodland is large changes, if any, to make in your up the succession process by
enough (generally at least 10 woodland. Your first step, after planting them yourself along
acres), it might be financially studying your property, should the edge of the forested area.
rewarding for you to have a be to think about what wildlife
commercial logger do the you want to encourage. Even if Having a “soft" layered edge,
you are mainly interested in one with a gradual blending of
specialty, such as birds, there grasses into shrubs and then
The health of our are still choices to be made. into trees, is nature’s way of
growing, and usually will attract
forests and the ability Some species need large, the greatest diversity of plants
of future generations to unfragmented tracts of woods. and wildlife.
enjoy the full array of While most of us can’t provide
forest wildlife depend on the 100 or 1000 acres of If you are still hesitant to
forest needed by these species make changes in your forest,
a balanced approach to for survival, we might remember that humans really
forest management and successfully attract “interior don’t manage wildlife, they
forest wildlife dwellers." Those birds need manage habitat.
mature forests with high
conservation. canopies and as little “edge" Species will come – or stay
– Ruffed Grouse Society (that area where woodland and reproduce – in response to
meets field) as possible. appropriate food, water, cover,
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 4 A Plant's Home

5. space, and the arrangement of better than “benign neglect" If you have a stream running
these components. when it comes to promoting through your property, perhaps
wildlife diversity. you can encourage your
In addition, humans aren’t the neighbors to join you in
only forces causing change. There is a lot of concern today protecting the health of that
Browsing deer, when over- about “riparian buffers." These waterway by planting trees
abundant, can remove a forest are the woodlands which border and protecting any woodlands
understory; insects, such as a stream or other source of that already exist.
gypsy moths, can defoliate water, where the forest soil and
large areas of canopy cover, mat of tree roots are crucial for Stewardship of the land is a
thus changing the amount of filtering out pollutants before responsibility, but it is also a
available light; beavers alter they enter the water supply. joy, and there is no better
water levels; and disease can learning experience for both
nearly wipe out entire The trees also shade the children and adults.
populations of trees, such as water, keeping it cool enough for
occurred with chestnuts and certain aquatic species. Look at your property with
elms in this country. an eye to management, and
In many cases, these buffers you will reap the rewards for
We humans are the only have become very narrow or have years to come, as well as
creatures who can plan disappeared altogether. In some having the satisfaction of
changes with a view to the states, there is money available knowing you are helping to
greater good, and sometimes to help you restore or create sustain nature’s diversity for
thoughtful activism can be riparian buffers. future generations.
RESOURCES This article was written by
Maryland Master Wildlife
s Cooperative Extension Service (to find an office in your state): Habitat Naturalist Cathy
http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/statepartners/statetext.htm Gilleland.
s Forestry and Wildlife Education site: For more information or for
www.naturalresources.umd.edu the name of a Master Wildlife
Habitat Naturalist in your area,
s USDA Forest Service: download the NED Forest Stewardship please contact:
Planning Guide at: www.fs.fed.us/ne/burlington/index.htm
WindStar Wildlife Institute
s Your State Department of Natural Resources:
www.dnr.state.md.us/forests (other states can be found with a
E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org
web search)
http://www.windstar.org
s Your local Farm Service Agency (to locate an office in your
state):
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/ WindStar Wildlife Institute is
a national, non-profit,
s Natural Resources Conservation Service: http:// conservation organization
www.nrcs.usda.gov/ whose mission is to help
individuals and families
s Penn State (lots of information to order on forest establish or improve the wildlife
management): habitat on their properties.
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/forestry.html
© WindStar Wildlife Institute Page 1 A Plant's Home