Food and cover relationships in

managed forests

Wildlife respond to both the species composition and structure of a forested area.

Forest succession and wildlife

A. Early succession stages

1. Abundant ground cover

2. Open spaces = loafing, bedding, feeding

3. Bare ground = dusting and loafing sites

4. Abundant seeds and insects = food

5. Maintain by disturbance every 2- 3 years

6. Goal: approx. 3-5% for a variety of wildlife

B. Brush stages

1. Young trees, shrubs, vines = food and cover

2. Provide travel lanes

3. Provide nesting, roosting, loafing sites

4. Abundant seeds, fruit, insects, browse = food

5. Maintain by disturbance every 5-6 years

6. Cutback along roads, edges of openings to create the shrub zone

7. Goal: approx. 10% of forest for a variety of wildlife

C. Mature Forest

1. Canopy (may be open or closed) = provides cover

2. Trees produce mast (seeds, fruit) = food

3. Trees large enough to contain cavities

4. Provide seasonal or year-around (conifers) cover

5. Food from mast, foliage, browse, insects, flowers

6. If maintained long enough = old growth

Two definitions:

a) tree growth rate has leveled off, therefore there is no need to allow it to remain unharvested (primary purpose is wood fiber)

b) ecological definition - trees are beginning to die naturally and replace themselves, leading to a multi-storied canopy

Provides food and cover for selected species of wildlife

D. Intermediate stages = least productive for many species of wildlife

1. Canopy closed so little understory

2. Trees not large enough for cavities

3. Trees not producing mast

4. Food and cover more limited here than in other stages for most species

What impacts do "shortened rotations" = truncated management" have on abundance of wildlife food and cover?

Limit the range of benefits for a variety of early and late successional species

E.. Characteristics of Edge vs. Interior species

1. Interior species

Need large contiguous blocks of homogeneous cover

Nest in exposed places

Often are neotropical migrants

Typically have lower reproductive output

Very vulnerable to disturbance

2. Edge species

Need a mix of cover types

Nest in more concealed sites

Often produce several broods or litters of young per year

Better adapted to disturbance than interior species