Integrating Forest and Wildlife Management : Integrating Forest and Wildlife Management Master Tree Farmer 2002 Chris Moorman NC State University


What We’ll Cover...: What We’ll Cover... The Basics Edge Management Timber Management Prescribed Fire Herbicides Dead Wood


Objectives?: Objectives? Where does wildlife rank in list? Wildlife management costs money. How much money to spend? What is my resource (soil, acreage, forest types, etc.)? What are my target species?


Management Plan: Management Plan Designed to meet objectives Consistent guidelines Maps and (projections) Forestry Consultant and State Biologist Forest Stewardship Program


Basic Needs: Basic Needs Food (Quantity and Quality) Water (Usually available) Cover often limiting factor Distributed across your property


Slide6: NO single forest stand can provide quality habitat for all wildlife species!!


Slide7: Food Plot Management Does Not Equal Wildlife Management!!


Native Plants: Native Plants Native animals adapted to native plants Many exotics become invasive and replace important natives Wildlifers lead the search for the silver bullet Must think long term


Two Basic Principles: Two Basic Principles Plant Diversity = Wildlife Diversity Structural Diversity = Wildlife Diversity vertical horizontal


Plant Diversity: Plant Diversity Butterfly larva are host plant specific Manage for Ferns, Vines, Shrubs, Grasses, Trees High plant diversity presence of BUFFER foods SEASONALITY


Buffer Foods: Buffer Foods White Oak Red Oak


Seasonality : Seasonality Mulberry in Spring Black Cherry in Fall Holly in Winter


Vertical Structure: Over story Mid story Under story Shrub Herb Forest floor Vertical Structure


Vertical Structure: Vertical Structure Birds segregate vertically  shrub cover Ground/shrub cover important for many wildlife (Gravity) deer, quail, rabbits


Vertical Structure: Vertical Structure


Horizontal Structure: Horizontal Structure Edges = horizontal structure Access to 2 Habitats Unique conditions High vertical structure


Edges & Predators: Edges & Predators May concentrate travel along edges More prey? Reduced nesting success


Small Stands: Small Stands 3,600 Ft2 of edge Edge Edge Interior Interior 6,400 Ft2 of edge


Irregularly-shaped Stands: Irregularly-shaped Stands Interior 3,600 Ft2 of edge Edge 6,000 Ft2 of edge Edge Interior


Edge Management: Edge Management Thin timber more heavily near edge Disk 30-50 ft. strips at stand edges Disk every 1-3 years Fire breaks Logging Roads Daylight roads


Feathered Edge: Feathered Edge Just Disked Shrubs Annuals


Timing of Disking: Timing of Disking Spring disking grasses (panic grass) Summer disking variety of vegetation Fall/Winter disking heavy seeds (ragweed, doveweed, partridge pea) Ragweed


Timber Management: Timber Management A Wildlife Manager’s BEST tool Forest harvest and regeneration Site preparation Intermediate stand treatments Other practices Before any silvicultural practices are conducted, special habitat components should be inventoried and protected


“Unique” or Special Habitats: “Unique” or Special Habitats Vernal Ponds Wetlands (shallow water) Old Home Sites Oak Groves Blackberry thickets Rock outcrops


Succession: Succession Different animals prefer different forest ages


Timber Harvest/Regeneration: Timber Harvest/Regeneration Even-aged Systems Clearcut Shelterwood/Seed Tree Uneven-aged Systems Group selection Single-tree selection


Clearcuts: Clearcuts Benefits many game species Benefits many songbirds/rodents COVER Abundant seed & fruit Irregular shape s edge Keep most <50 acres


Shelterwood/Seed Tree: Shelterwood/Seed Tree Wildlife benefits similar to clearcuts Same guidelines as clearcutting for size, shape, and arrangement of harvests Maintains canopy mast trees raptor perches


Group Selection: Group Selection ‘Miniature clearcuts’ (1 - 2 acres) Increases edge, plant diversity & vertical structure High wildlife diversity Maintains canopy Maintains mast Use in SMZs


Slide30: Optimal Area Distribution by Cut Size


*Harvest Preferences: *Harvest Preferences *From Annand and Thompson, JWM 61:159-171


Young Forests: Young Forests Early-succession habitat important COVER Common Yellowthroat


Planting: Planting Plant at 10x10 spacing or greater Consider longleaf pine on the right site tolerates fire at early age grass stage is good cover sparse crown that allows sunlight to reach forest floor


Mechanical Site-prep: Mechanical Site-prep Sheering, root raking, burning, drum-chopping, disking & bedding Intensive temporarily favors herbaceous plants, reduces woody plants More intensive may reduce long term plant diversity


Chemical Site-prep: Chemical Site-prep Herbicides Short term (2 year) Impacts Banded or Spot application


Slide36: Intermediate Stand Treatments


Slide37: Thinned and Burned


Thinning Guidelines: Thinning Guidelines 70 ft2/acre basal area <50 ft2/acre for quail Higher BA on better sites Leave mast trees Avoid high grade


Wildlife Benefits from Thinning : Wildlife Benefits from Thinning Increased sunlight in understory Release mast producers Increase acorn production Leave snags THIN and BURN Baseball Technique


Slide40: Winter Burning Good cover summer after burn Poor cover following winter (hardwood sprouts)


Slide41: Sweetgum saplings don’t provide winter cover Baseball easily seen at 10 foot distance


Nut and Fruit Production: Nut and Fruit Production Release oaks with dominant crowns 50-100 yr. oaks produce best 14-24” DBH oaks produce best water, laurel, willow oak most consistent 20 square feet/acre of mast producers hickory, beech, dogwood, blackgum, cherry, persimmon, blueberry, blackberry


Recent History of Fire in SE: Recent History of Fire in SE Native Americans for last 12,000 years drive or increase game increase visibility from enemies Lightning fires in spring/summer Plants and animals adapted


Direct Death from Fire : Direct Death from Fire RARE Birds fly Large mammals run Small animals seek refuge logs, rocks, & underground burrows Glass lizards, box turtles and young are exceptions


Shrubland Songbirds: Shrubland Songbirds 3-4 year intervals Increased insect/seed/fruit production Brushy understory  midstory species


Grassland Songbirds: Grassland Songbirds 1-2 year intervals Increased grass abundance Grassy understory  shrub species  midstory species Bachman’s Sparrow


Bobwhite Quail: Bobwhite Quail 1-2 year intervals; 3 year spots Increased seeds and insects Leave unburned areas as nesting cover Patchy burns Open pine stands (BA 25-50 ft2/ac.)


Wild Turkeys: Wild Turkeys 3 year intervals Increased insect/seed Increased fruit abundance Maintains brushy & grassy ground cover Keeps forest open


White-tailed Deer: White-tailed Deer 3-5 year intervals Increased crude protein and phosphorus for 1 year New growth palatable Increased soft and hard mast production Dense understory growth


Herbicides Replace Fire: Herbicides Replace Fire Industry choosing herbicides Liability, tree damage, and bark char Herbicides give better hardwood control Fire has additional benefits litter removal/seedbed preparation herbaceous plant diversity nutrient transfer into soil


Herbicides & Wildlife: Herbicides & Wildlife Water soluble & not fat soluble Short term effects (<2 years) Minimize tank mixes Arsenal promotes legumes/blackberries Arsenal+Escort promotes little Partridge Pea


Herbicides: Herbicides Banded or spot application during site prep Mid-rotation use of herbicides Thin  herbicide  burn Used to control invasives, create snags, promote desirables, manage edges


Riparian Corridors: Riparian Corridors High plant and food (Insects and acorns) diversity Natural travel corridors Sources of standing water herp breeding areas Abundant dead wood High wildlife diversity


Management in SMZs: Management in SMZs Emphasize Desirable Hardwoods oaks, ash, poplar Longer rotations (> 60 yrs) Group selection Maximize SMZ width


SMZ width: SMZ width Follow contour/normal floodplain  90 ft. wildlife - 30 ft. streams  300 ft. specialized wildlife  1000 ft. large rivers


Snags: Snags Woodpeckers Secondary Users Roosting Feeding on insects Hibernating


*% Snags Standing: *% Snags Standing *From Moorman et al. FEM 118:37-48 Snag Age (Years)


Snag Management: Snag Management SE short rotation pines have few usable snags Retain  4 snags or green trees/acre Softwoods preferred Clumped and >12“ dbh Periodically inject residuals


Clumping snags: Clumping snags Buffer snags Support your neighbor Increased safety Easier management Distribute the clumps


Dead Wood: Dead Wood Windrows, slashpiles, treetops cover, nesting sites, and germination sites Fallen or residual downed logs fungi and phosphorus insects, cover, and nutrient cycling


Downed Logs: Downed Logs Important habitat for salamanders, toads, insects Larger logs important for ruffed grouse drumming sites Northern red salamander Ring-necked snake


Vary What You Do!!: Vary What You Do!! Be creative, keep records and experiment Different stand shapes & sizes Different stand treatments site prep, intermediate treatments, rotation lengths, disking regimes FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE


Image Acknowledgments: Image Acknowledgments Tom Barnes, University of Kentucky Greg Yarrow, Clemson University NC Wildlife Resources Commission Robert Bardon, NC State University