FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE

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FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE

• TERRY HAINDFIELD
• IOWA DNR
• WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
• TRI-STATE FOREST STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE
• MARCH 8, 2008

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• Wildlife Needs
• Succession
• Neotropical Migratory Birds
• Forest Management Systems
• Iowa DNR Forest Wildlife Stewardship Plans
• You the Landowner
• Forest Management Practices for Wildlife
• Questions??

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Forest Wildlife Needs

• Habitat
• Food
• Water
• Cover
• Space
• Arrangement

• Breeding/nesting
• Rearing young/feeding
• Escape
• Resting
• Mary Ellen Leicht

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SUCCESSION!

• The sequence of plant communities that occur
  over time
• The process that replaces one group of species
  with a different group of species in continual
  stages

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Succession Stages

• Herbaceous plants grasses and forbs (flowers)
• Woody shrubs/saplings Aspen, dogwood, plum
• Pole size/small trees Ash, Cherry, Elm
• Large trees Oak/Hickory (mast)
• Climax Maple/Basswood

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Neotropical Migratory Birds (NTMBs)! WHAT?

• Migratory bird that winters in Neotropical
  regions (Mexico, Central and South America) and
  nests in U.S. or Canada

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NTMBs

• Cerulean Warbler
• Acadian Flycatcher
• Scarlet Tanager
• Rose-breasted Grossbeak
• Baltimore Oriole
• Prothonotary Warbler

• Golden-winged Warbler
• Indigo Bunting
• Ovenbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Veery

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Forest Management Systems

• 1) Early Successional
• 2) Even Age
• 3) Uneven Age
• 4) Viewshed

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1) Early Successional

• Early stages of woody growth
• High stem density of both trees and shrubs
• Edges, openings, or stands with aspen/shrubs
• Aspen root suckers
• 15 year rotation cut 1/3 every 5 years

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When should I chose Early Successional?

• Lack of that habitat on your land
• Proper species present aspen, shrubs, etc
• Desire those wildlife species in E.S. habitat
• Buffer the existing forest Edge Feathering
• Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism
• John Gavin

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Early SuccessionalWildlife Species

• Ruffed Grouse
• Woodcock
• Eastern Towhee
• Golden-winged Warbler
• Yellow Billed Cuckoo
• Indigo Bunting
• Pheasants
• Wild Turkeys

• Rabbits
• Insects
• WT Deer
• Fox
• Weasels
• Snakes

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2) Even Age

• Stand of trees approx. the same age
• Clearcutting is the usual harvest method
• Or variation like shelterwood or seed tree before
  a final clearcut
• Oak/hickory usually (shade-intolerant)
• /- 125 year rotation
• After a clearcut, next cut would be in 125 years
• 2133 or backtrack to 1883!

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When should I chose Even Age?

• Warm, dry sites
• South, west slopes
• Flat or gradual slopes
• Oak and Hickory (Walnut) present
• Planting new stands
• As many places as feasible
• When wildlife need mast

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Even Age Wildlife Species

• 1-10 years Ruffed Grouse,
• Eastern Towhee, Deer, Cardinal
• 20-60 years BW Warbler, Ovenbird, Gray Fox
• 60-125 years Scarlet Tanager, Cerulean Warbler,
  Wild Turkey, Gray and Fox Squirrel

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3) Uneven Age

• Stand of trees with all tree sizes represented
• Harvests are individual trees or group of trees
• Always have large trees
• Layers of different aged trees
• /- 20 year re-entry for harvests
• Favors shade-tolerant species (maple/basswood)

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When should I chose Uneven Age?

• Cool, moist sites
• North slopes
• Steep slopes
• NTMBs

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Uneven Age Wildlife Species

• NTMBs (Also NTMBs in E.Succ. And Even Age)
• Southern Flying Squirrel
• Bats
• Woodpeckers
• Reptiles/Amphibians
• Turkeys

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4) Viewshed

• Virtually untouched stands of trees
• Maybe some management or harvest a tree or so

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When should I chose Viewshed?

• Very steep forested areas
• Fragile slopes
• Aesthetics
• TE species
• Stream corridors
• Inaccessible

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Viewshed Wildlife Species

• Pleistocene Snails TE spp. (Algific Talus
  Slopes)
• NTMBs
• Wild Turkey roost sites
• Bald Eagle nesting and winter roost sites
• Turkey Vulture roosts
• Peregrine Falcon
• Bobcat
• Snakes and Skinks

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IOWA DNR Forest Wildlife Stewardship Plans

• FWSPs on Wildlife Management Areas
• 3 primary factors
• Succession of Oak/Hickory to Maple/Basswood
• Loss of Early Successional forest habitat
• Lack of proper management of mature forests for
  interior bird species

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FWSP

• DNR Wildlife Biologist and DNR Forester
• Stand map and determine priorities
• Plans written guided by State Wildlife Action
  Plan
• Wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need

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Interesting Findings

• WMAs 20 to 25 pole size trees
• Backtrack 30 years 20 to 25 Early Successional
  habitat Ruffed Grouse (Woodcock, E. Towhee)
• Now 1-3
• Lots of Maple/Basswood cant reverse
• Mature stands can be reached in 50-60 years
  rather than 80-100 with management

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You the Landowner

• Inventory What you have, what you are missing
• Professional Forester/Wildlife Biologist
• Stand Map Tree and shrub inventory
• Species and age class (size)
• Adjacent Landscape (maps)
• Neighbors Management, priorities, interests,
  opportunities
• Aspen, oak, age, cropfields (food)

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You the Landowner

• Species to hunt vs. non-game or both
• Financial income harvests
• Fall color
• resources for management
• Cant make orange juice from apples
• Too small of forest
• Wrong species (trees/shrubs)
• Wrong age class
• Location

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Forest Management PracticesTo Create Wildlife
Habitat

• 1) Crop Tree Release
• 2) Weed Tree Removal
• 3) Harvests
• 4) Planting
• 5) Miscellaneous

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1) Crop Tree Release

• Removal of trees that are competing with the tree
  you want to mature
• Wildlife benefits
• Best trees for wildlife faster (food, structure,
  etc)
• Faster to obtain mature stand
• Felled trees produce structural cover

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Crop Tree Release
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2) Weed Tree Removal

• Reduction or elimination of trees or shrubs that
  are undesirable in a stand
• Invasives
• Over stocking of a species
• Wildlife benefits
• Faster to obtain mature stand
• Selects for better food or cover for wildlife
• Weeding a garden

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3) Harvests

• Clearcutting (Even Age)
• Early Successional
• Can be commercial sale 1st time
• 15 year rotation (1/3 each year)
• Commercial Harvest
• Wildlife get 15 years of Early Successional
  habitat
• Tree tops excellent wildlife habitat (turkey
  nests, amphibians/reptiles)
• Leave some scattered large trees
• Small Whats small? Whats too small?

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Harvests

• Single Tree/ Group Selection (Uneven Age)
• DO NOT HIGH-GRADE!
• Good for many NTMBs
• Single Tree
• Remove mature and defective trees
• Remove unwanted small trees that are damaged or
  defective
• May favor oaks but remember, eventually it will
  be shade-tolerant species (Maple/Basswood)
• Minimal disturbance but re-entry every 20 years

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Harvests

• Single Tree/ Group Selection (Uneven Age)
• Group Tree
• 1/10 to 1/2 acre canopy openings
• Enhances layering (trees and shrubs)
• Keep some large trees in canopy
• Again, favor oaks for as long as you can

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4) Planting

• Start from beginning Control of tree/shrub
  species and subsequent wildlife desired.
• Fill openings (if desired)
• Option of planting forest edge rather than
  cutting to create Early Successional habitat
• Create missing link

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5) Miscellaneous

• Snags
• Pruning
• Brushpiles
• Reserve trees
• Avoid fragmentation
• Openings
• Access roads/lanes
• Fire

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Fire?
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FIRE!!!
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Yes, Fire
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Questions?
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Photo credits Grouse-Rick Baetsen Scarlet
tanager-Kevin Karlson Northern Monkshood-U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service by Bob Clearwater
Sunset-Terry Haindfield
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Wildlife Examples

• Ruffed Grouse
• Wild Turkey
• Neotropical Migratory Birds
• Whitetail Deer
• Reptiles/Amphibians

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Ruffed Grouse

• Early successional habitat a must
• Aspen, shrubs, cedar, oak saplings
• 8000-12,000 vertical stems/acre
• Drumming sites, brood rearing, escape/protection
• Feeding berries, grapes, hazelnut
• 25-80 year old stands nesting, buds, catkins,
  acorns
• Cedar blocks winter

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Wild Turkey
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NTMBs
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Whitetail Deer
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Reptiles Amphibians