Learn about Wildlife Habitat in the Virginia Piedmont -- what it is, why we care, what a landowner can do to improve it.

1. Prepared for the
Orange County Hunt
March 18th, 2012
James Barnes
Sustainable Habitat
Program Manager
jbarnes@pecva.org
540-347-2334 ext. 30
Photo credit: Cast A Line Photography, Flickr

2.  What is Wildlife Habitat?
 Why care about Habitat?
 What can a landowner do to improve habitat:
 30,000’ view
 Forest & Water
 Field & Thicket: (See Separate Powerpoint)
 Question & Answer

3.  Provide a voice for habitat & wildlife in region
 Habitat Outreach: website, tours, workshops
 Provide consultation to landowners
 Coordinate Regional Partnerships
 Trout Unlimited
 Virginia Working Landscapes
 Manage PEC’s Ovoka property

4. Fauquier Loudoun
 50 Mammals  50 Mammals
 69 Fish  67 Fish
 23 Amphibians  24 Amphibians
 31 Reptiles  33 Reptiles
 15 Mollusks  16 Mollusks
 178 Birds  193 Birds
Data source: DGIF data

6. Photo credit: Wally Gobetz
Photo credit: Ken Garrett Flickr photo credit: edgeplot

7. Habitat needs/scale are dependent on the species in question,
whether you’re a black bear or a mourning cloak butterfly
Photo credit: Up North Photos

9. PEC promotes smart growth, land conservation,
and tries to prevent sprawling land use patterns.

10. PEC has been
remarkable
successful over
the years with
easements

11. 2011…

12. But how is that land stewarded? Flickr photo credit: ChesapeakeBayEO

13. Is this good stewardship?
Image credit: American Consumer News

15. Photo credit: Rror
Some species are common and becoming more common (Canada goose,
starling, white tailed deer). Many species like Bobwhite quail, Cerulean
warbler, and Wood turtle are declining. Our goal should be to manage
land for as many species as possible, but particular those in need.
Photo credit: USFWS Photo credit: Mdf

16. 2 species that have declined dramatically in the Piedmont

18. Photo credit: Wally Gobetz
photo
credit:
Photo credit: Ken Garrett edgeplot

19.  Allow for “Wild-ness”

20. A typical landscape in Northern Fauquier County

21. Many landowners manage for formal
areas and/or fescue pastures that often
provide no or very little habitat
Flickr photo credit: juco

22. But there are other ways to manage, like this:
note the mowed walkways for access
Photo credit: Bruce Jones

23. Or this…a
woodland
oasis.

24.  Allow for “Wild-ness”
 Create/Manage a diversity of Habitats

25. Piedmont landowners have lots of land on the far left
and far right extreme of this graph. For better Source: Encylopedia of Earth,
habitat, there needs to be more in the middle. Michael Pidwirny

26.  Allow for “Wild-ness”
 Create/Manage a diversity of Habitats
 Connectivity is critical

27. Corridors can be continental in scale
Image source:
US Fish & Wildlife Service

28. Or regional

29. Or on the scale
of multiple
landowners
Photo source:
USDA, NRCS

30.  Allow for “Wild-ness”
 Create Habitat Diversity
 Connectivity is critical
 Get your neighbors on board

31.  Allow for “Wild-ness”
 Create Habitat Diversity
 Connectivity is critical
 Get your neighbors on board
 Promote Indicator species
 Keystone
 Umbrella
 Flagship
 Rare/Uncommon species

32. ”For the foreseeable future ... there is no
escaping the need to manage nature. The best
we can do is to observe the following rule:
To manage nature as to minimize the need to
manage nature.”
The Ecology of Eden, Evan Eisenberg

34. source: Better Homes & Garden source: www.norcrossws.org
Heavenly bamboo (Nadina), Oriental
bittersweet, tree of heaven, boxwoods.
All of these are non-native. 2 are invasive
source: Chuck Bargeron,
University of Georgia source: landscaping.about.com

35. The impacts of non-
natives plants on our
wildlife are cascading and
unclear. For example,
Cedar waxwing males
have less red on their
wingbar if they eat
invasive honeysuckle
berries (not shown). This
may affect their ability to
reproduce.
source: Frankenstoen, Flickr

36. Who depends on milkweed plants?
source: Peter Gorman Photography, Flickr

37. The monarch
butterfly larva
stage must feed
on milk weed
plants. No other
genera of plants
can support it.
source: Cotinus Photography, Flickr

38. source: Stonebird Photography, Flickr

39. Native plants promote native insects which
promote native wildlife

40.  Oak - 534
 Willow - 456
 Cherry/Plum - 456
 Birch - 413
 Poplar - 368
 Crabapple - 311
 Blueberry - 288
 Maple - 285
 Elm - 213
 Pine - 203
Photo source: A. Bockoven

41. Photo credit: Jane Shelby Richardson Photo credit: Jane Shelby Richardson
Oaks, goldenrods, redbuds, blueberries…all are
examples of native plants that are beautiful/functional
and that support lots of wildlife.
Photo credit: Jane Shelby Richardson Photo credit: Jim Clark

42. Photo credit: Jon Person

44. Photo credit: Amber Coakley

45. Snags are a hotel and restaurant for wildlife
Photo source: travellerspoint.com, Utrecht Photo source: roughpatch.org

46. Pileated and chickdees are primary cavity
nesters…they can make their own holes.
Photo source: USDA,
by Lyle Madeson

47. Wood duck and barn owl need nests made by
others.

48. You can
create
artificial
snags by
girdling
living trees
Photo source: wikimedia.org,
user: Lamiot

50. Photo source: ephoto.tistory.com/69

51. No cover at forest floor
Photo source: Francis Peacocke photography

52. Photo credit: Connecticut Ornithological Association
Oven bird need cover on
ground so they can build nests
in forests

53. What a healthy forest floor could look like…

54. Photo source: bloomingtonarchery.com

55. If you care about wildlife and the health of your property, hunt deer or allow hunting

56. We eliminated natural deer predators so
we have an obligation to hunt them
Photo source: cougarfund.org

57. Impacts of deer are clearly seen in exclosures
where vegetation can grow without heavy
browse

58. American redstarts are birds
who’s numbers decline when deer
numbers are high
McShea and Rappole 2000

59. Deer also don’t eat invasive plants like
Japanese barberry.
Photo source: Hope Leeson

60.  Improve or maintain a healthy forest
 Increase wildlife habitat on your property
 Enhance natural beauty and land values
 Increase your recreational opportunities
 Reduce soil erosion and improve water
quality
 Protect your property from wildfire, insects
and disease
 Increase your income from forest products
 Reduce your taxes

61.  Go Native! / Control Invasive Plants
 Leave/create Snags
 Leave downed woods
 Control Deer
 Make a Forest Management Plan

62. Photo credit: Frank Crocker

64. This is a bad riparian buffer

65. This is a good buffer
Photo credit: Iowa State University

66. A good buffer using grass in a
HOA setting

67.  100+ Feet: Belted kingfisher & cold water fish
 300+ Feet: Bobcat & muskrat
 600+Feet: Scarlet Tanager &
bald eagles
Bigger is better for riparian buffers
and wildlife
Photo credit: Rick Leche

69. Bad pond, forested/shrub edge….little space for cover

70. Good pond…lots of structure and edge in the
background. Yet the foreground is mowed and
provides recreational access.
Photo source: Mark Anderson Photography, Flickr

71. Willow flycatchers are dependent on cover
around ponds/wetlands

72. Photo credit: flickr, stevehdc
Beaver’s can become
issue though since they
can kill trees and dam
up ponds, etc.

73. But the ponds/meadow they create
are some of the most remarkable
wildlife spots in our region. If you
can deal with a beaver’s
handiwork, it’s worth it.

74. James Barnes
Sustainable Habitat
Program Manager
jbarnes@pecva.org
540-347-2334 ext. 30