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Transcript
Page 1 of 19 Wildlife Habitat Management 9-1-04 Habitat: The abiotic and biotic factors in an environment Habitat may vary in time and place Habitats are dynamic and constantly changing due to natural disturbances and succession. What affects animal populations? 1. Disease 2. Competition from other animals 3. Predators 4. Social interactions 5. Territorial considerations 6. Habitat What we’re specifically interested in? Managing plant species and succession. Succession: The replacement of one plant community by another until a relatively stable, self-perpetuating one is reached. Bare ground to weeds, to grass, to brush, to timber. Pioneer Species: Foxtail Grass, Doveweed, Beggar Ticks Seedbank: Where seeds are held in the ground and leaf litter until ready to germinate. Sapling Forest: Early succession trees that are greater than 4 inches in diameter. Habitat Specialists: Animals that are only found in specific types of conditions. Habitat Generalists: Animals found commonly in all types of conditions. Climax Stage: It will reproduce until a disturbance. Tennessee’s Climax: Maple/Beech Oak/Hickory is more fire tolerant than Maple/Beech Page 2 of 19 9-8-04 Ecoregions/Physiographic Provinces: 50 40 30 Population 20 10 K 0 Tim e This is a logistic Growth Curve Factors that influence K 1. Food 2. Cover 3. Water The factor that is obviously limited in the habitat is called the limiting factor. If we can improve the availability of that factor we can improve the habitat. Food: 1. 2. 3. 4. Is often the limiting factor. When managing food you try to increase the quantity and quality of food. Quality of food changes seasonally. Plants growing on fertile soil are more nutritional and better for wildlife than unfertile soil. Cover: 1. The physical or biological necessities depending on the species. 2. Provides protection from weather (cold, rain, snow). 3. Cover is species specific 4. Escape cover, used to escape predation 5. Feeding cover 6. Breeding cover: Waterfowl; prairie pothole region 7. Roosting Cover: Mature pine trees for turkeys 9-13-04 Most species require drinking water in the Southeast Must consider the factors but also how they are arranged on the area: Leopold: The most edge results in the most wildlife. Page 3 of 19 Ecotone: Feathered edge rather than a sharp edge 9-15-04 1. Mourning Doves (Columbidae Family) a. There are 45 million birds harvested each year b. We manage them so they can be shot. We bait them c. Dove feed on bare ground d. They are best managed by crops that mature in late summer-early fall e. “Normal Agricultural Practice” i. Scattering wheat f. Foods preferred: i. Small seeded species ii. Cultivated grains 1. Milo 2. Millett 3. Proso Millett 4. Brown-top Millett iii. Wheat (most commonly used) iv. Sunflowers (Most attractive to doves) v. Native species: 1. Ragweed g. First thing to do: Take a soil test! h. Things to consider for suitable dove field: i. Minimum 5-10 acres ii. Optimal is 1 acre per person hunting iii. Seeds scattered on bare ground 1. Cut down existing vegetation 2. Barely till the field 3. Leave stubble iv. Several different types of plants v. For corn 1. Cut with a silage cutter vi. Leave rows for cover i. For dove habitat improvement place grain patches here and there in the spring and early summer 2. Bobwhite Quail: Classic Southern Species a. Likes open land b. Requires a mixture of: i. Grassland (Nesting; make sure it’s the right type!) ii. Wheat Fields iii. Forest (Mature) for acorn usage iv. Brushy habitat for cover Page 4 of 19 c. Foods: i. Agricultural Crops: 1. Corn 2. Wheat 3. Soybeans 4. Sunflowers 5. Millett 6. Milo ii. Native Species: 1. Lespedeza (low-growing) 2. Desmodium 3. Native legumes are most important iii. Big-seeded Grasses: 1. Johnson grass 2. Switch grass 3. Dallas grass 4. Crab grass iv. Ragweed: High protein and lots of quantity v. Tree Seeds 1. Oaks 2. Pine seeds vi. Soft Fruits: 1. Blackberry 2. Dewberry 3. Plums 4. Privet berries d. Major Predator: i. Hawks ii. Fox iii. Bobcat e. Nesting cover: Traditionally overlooked f. Habitat needs are often overlooked year-round g. Nesting: i. Broomsedge in clumps 1. They grow during the warm season h. Fescue is popular but bad for quail i. Good habitat should bring 1 quail per acre j. Declining species that would benefit from quail management: i. Loggerhead Shrike ii. Mourning Dove iii. Red-headed Woodpecker iv. Eastern Meadowlark v. Killdeer vi. Dicksessile? vii. Henslows Sparrow viii. American Kestrell Page 5 of 19 9-16-04 3. Crop Management: Corn, Soybean, Wheat, Milo a. Managing for waste seed, don’t till until after the fall b. Leave a few rows i. Prevents erosion ii. Protects waste grain c. Waste grain usually equals 900 lbs per 2.5 acres 4. Conservation Tillage: Corn Spring Plant a. No till b. Double crop with no till: Corn pick/plant winter wheat in stubble then corn in wheat stubble c. Downsides: i. Weed control requires more spray/insecticide 9-20-04 5. Controlled Burning: The use of fire to improve wildlife habitat a. Fire is effective and inexpensive b. Fire favors production of some plants c. Fire: i. Produces a desirable plant community full of legumes ii. The plants following a fire are more nutritious than the plants before the fire iii. Has a natural fertilizer effect iv. For a quail, fire opens up the ground 6. Pesticides: a. Five types: i. Organochlorines (DDT) 1. Takes decades to breakdown in the environment ii. Carbamates iii. Organophosphates iv. Metanical v. Pyrethium vi. Synthetic Pyrethium 9-22-04 b. Ways that pesticides can affect wildlife: i. Direct poisoning ii. Sub-lethal affects that may indirectly become lethal iii. Loss of food resources iv. Direct loss of habitat Page 6 of 19 c. To avoid risk: i. Avoid chemical usage during nesting seasons ii. Avoid treatments next to riparian (stream) zones iii. Avoid treatments near wildlife concentration areas. iv. Avoid treatments during migration periods v. Read and follow application rates 7. Integrated Pest Management: A comprehensive name for several methods a. Crop rotation b. Using insect resistant species c. Using pest barriers and insect traps d. Biological control: i. Insect predators ii. Parasites iii. Pathogens e. Chemical control with pesticides 8. Fescue: a. Discovered first in TX in 1931 b. Desirable qualities: i. Easy to establish ii. High range of tolerance for many conditions iii. Erosion control iv. Large quantities produced for hay and forage c. It is a mat-forming grass d. The seeds aren’t very nutritious e. Most fescue is infected with a fungus called acremonium coenophielum i. This results in lower weight gain in cattle due to less nutritioun ii. It also affects fertility rates in cattle 9. In 1985 Promotion of Native Warm Season Grasses (NWSG) a. Different Types: i. Big Blue Stem ii. Little Blue Stem iii. Indiangrass iv. Switchgrass Doesn’t have a fluffy seed v. Eastern Gama Grass Doesn’t have a fluffy seed vi. Broomsedge b. Benefits: i. Clump grasses ii. Highly palatable iii. Very nutritious iv. Good forage producers v. There are the species that our wildlife evolved with c. Downsides: i. Harder to establish 1. Small fluffy seeds with awns a. There is no equipment that are effectively capable of planting these seeds Page 7 of 19 ii. They have to be managed more carefully 9-27-04 10. Cottontail Rabbit (pg. 192 Managing Wildlife): a. Habitat: i. Farmland ii. Pastures iii. Brushlands 1. All interspersed amongst each other b. Food: They eat a lot of the same food as quails except that they eat the foliage of the plants rather than the seeds i. Grasses: 1. Kentucky Bluegrass 2. Orchard Grass 3. Rye Grass 4. Winter Wheat 5. Clover 6. Low-growing Lespedeza 7. Alfalfa 8. Vetch 9. Ragweed 10. Dandelions ii. Will eat trees during winter for phloem and cambium: 1. Sumax 2. Red Maple 3. Black Cherry 4. Willow 5. Green Vines 6. Green Briars 7. Honeysuckle iii. Rabbits aren’t typically food limited. Cover is typically the focus of management efforts. c. Rabbit home range: 5-10 acres d. Rabbit density goal: 1 rabbit per 1 acre 9-29-04 11. Incentive Programs: In 1985 Congress passed the “Food Security Act” which is also known as the Farm Bill. It was designed to take marginal farmland out of crop production to improve land base, erosion, and improve commodity prices by reducing production. There wasn’t anything in the Bill specific to wildlife. The “marginal land” then established fescue which isn’t useful to wildlife. Page 8 of 19 a. Wildlife Habitat Options in USDA Conservation Programs (See handout): i. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 1. Eligible Lands: Highly erodible and environmentally sensitive private farmland. Program targets row crop farmers. Land has to have been cropped 2 out of last 5 years. Buffer practices (filter strips, riparian buffers, grass, and waterways) do not have to be on erodible land. ii. Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) 1. Eligible Lands: Private lands exclusive of areas enrolled in other farm programs such as CRP or WRP. iii. Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) 1. Eligible Lands: Privately owned farmland. Program maximizes environmental benefits per dollar expended. 65% of funding designated for lands located in EQIP Priority Areas. 50% of funds designated for livestock operations. iv. Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) 1. Eligible Lands: Agricultural land containing restorable wetlands. Must have hydric soils with wetland restoration potential. Private, state, or county owned lands are eligible. v. Stewardship Incentive Program (SIP) 1. Eligible Lands: Non-industrial private lands participating in the Forest Stewardship program that have an approved plan are eligible for SIP funds. b. View NRCS Powerpoint 10-4-04 12. Agriculture drives wildlife and these programs were: a. Soil Bank: Implemented in Mid 50’s. It’s similar to the “farmbill” b. “Swampbuster” c. “Sodbuster”: A provision in the Food Security Act for a farmer receiving subsidies… 13. Crop Depridation: a. Management Techniques: i. Scare animals away ii. Create a lure crop iii. Aversion Conditioning (bad taste) 1. Methiocarb (Most Common) 2. Avitrol (Most common for blackbirds) a. It’s lethal iv. Fences 14. Erosion: 6 billion tons a. New enriched topsoil worth 1 inch takes 1,000 years to create. b. Shelterbelts c. Odd area management d. Row side management 15. Grazing and Wildlife: Page 9 of 19 a. Animal unit (1 animal unit = live weight of cow/calf 450kg.) b. Grasses are classified as increasers and decreasers i. Increasers are less palatable and aren’t grazed. ii. Decreasers are highly palatable and are grazed heavily. c. Fencing: i. Disrupts migration patterns for certain species 16. Forestry a. History: i. Pioneers altered the forest. ii. By the mid 1800’s most of the East was cut out iii. Gifford Pinchot: Had been educated in forestry in Europe to maintain a certain sustainability. He implemented multiple-use management. iv. The “Cut Out and Get Out” policy was implemented. b. Definition: i. Forest: An ecosystem dominated by trees 1. Covers 1/3 of the Earth 2. Covers 1/3 of the U.S. c. Several things that determine forest type: i. Soil ii. Moisture iii. Temperature iv. Seed Source v. Fire and other damaging factors (disturbance) vi. Shade Tolerance (pg. 63 Alabama) d. Two types of forests in the South: i. Deciduous: Mostly angiosperms ii. Coniferous: Gemnosperms e. Components of forests: i. Overstory: The tallest, composed of individual crowns. ii. Subcanopy: Often the same species as the overstory but they didn’t grow as fast. iii. Understory: Composed of trees with a determinate height growth (15-20ft.) iv. Shrub layer: Composed of woody species < 10 ft. tall. Multiple stemmed. v. Ground Layer: Wildflowers and vines. 10-13-04 Litter Layer: A big deal; Large biodiversity. Tennessee has 4, maybe 5 different types of forests. The majority of Oak, Hickory Forest. There is a small blip that consists of Cedar Glades. Post Oak and Black Jack is a dry site forest type. Mesothetic: Most diverse forests in the East. It’s neither wet or dry. Moist. Tree Examples: Maples, Poplar, Basswoods, Oaks. Page 10 of 19 Appalachian Oak Forest Southeastern Spruce Fir Forest: Red Spruce Northern Hardwoods: 1. Maple 2. Birch 3. Beech 4. Hemlock Slope: Where you are top, medium, bottom. Moisture difference. Aspect: Orientation of slope (North, South, East or West) 1. How forests work: a. Hardwood Forests: Gap Phase Regeneration i. Gap Phase Generation: The reason forests evolve the way they do. 1. This results in a lop of diversity scattered all along. b. The East: A shifting mosaic of forest Stand: A group of trees similar in age and species composition. DBH: Diameter Breast Height 0-4 inch diameter is sapling stage 4-9 inch diameter is poletimber >9 inch diameter is mature timber (sawtimber) Site Index: The height that a tree will obtain after a certain amount of years (usually 50) Shade Tolerance: The ability of a tree species to grow and produce under various degrees of shade. Tolerance Levels: 1. Very tolerant: a. Beech b. Sugar Maple c. Hemlock 2. Tolerant: a. Red Maple b. American Basswood c. Red Spruce 3. Intermediate a. Ashes b. White Pine c. Most Oaks Page 11 of 19 d. Most Hickories 4. Shade Intolerant a. Loblolly b. Eastern Redcedar c. Black Cherry d. Yellow Poplar e. Sycamore f. Bald Cypress 5. Very Shade Intolerant: a. Black Willow b. Eastern Cottonwood c. Aspen d. Longleaf Pine Forest Game: 1. White-tailed Deer 2. Eastern Wild Turkey 3. Ruffed Grouse 4. American Woodcock 5. Grey Squirrel 6. Fox Squirrel Eastern Wild Turkey is associated with mature mast production forests. Hard Mast Producing Trees: >10 inch diameter at DBH Two Types of Oaks: 1. Red Oaks (Have bristle tips) a. Scarlett oak b. Blackjack Oak c. Northern Red Oak 2. White Oaks (Don’t have bristle tips) a. Swamp Chestnut Oak b. Chestnut Oak c. White Oak You want a forest that consists of both types of oak trees because their crop production success alternates. Red Oak acorns stay on the tree for 2 years. White Oaks last 1 year. By having good representation of both groups you are almost guaranteed to have acorns. 10-25-04 Rotation: The time duration from planting to harvest. Variables: 1. Desired Product 2. Tree Species 3. Climate Page 12 of 19 4. Site Quality Ruffed Grouse desire a high stem density Wild Turkey desire a low stem density Basal Area: Determined by stem density and density. Stem Density: The # of trees per unit (acre). Cruise: A systematic survey to determine composition of the forest. Canopy Cover Board Feet: Measure of sawed lumber (Thickness X Width X Length ÷ 12) Cord: A measurement of stacked logs (bolts) with the dimensions of 4 X 4 X 8 ft. This is equal to 128 cubic feet. Read chapter 15 in Alabama book as well as pg. 53. 1. Uneven-aged Stands Management: a. Individual Tree Selection b. High-grading: “Cut the best, leave the rest” c. Group Selection: A block of a stand is harvested. 2. Even-aged Stands: a. Clear-cutting b. Natural Regeneration c. Seed Tree Timber Stand Improvement (TSI): Practices that are implemented that would improve the quality of the forest. Site Preparation: Chemical and mechanical (pg.66) 10-27-04 Advanced Regeneration: What species are growing as seedlings in the under-story. This is key for Oak species. 1. Wild Turkey: a. Favorite Habitat: Mature mast producing hardwoods with moderately opened under-story. Ideally we would life scattered fields and clearings. Fields are for nesting and brood habitat that produces insects. Small areas of conifers are for nesting. They also need a steady supply of water which is rarely a problem in the Southeast. b. Food: Page 13 of 19 i. Hard Mast: Acorns, beechnuts, pecans, pine seeds, sweetgum seeds, and magnolia seeds. ii. Soft Mast: Dogwood fruit 1. Dogwood Disease: Dogwood anthracnose iii. Grasses: Legumes, clover, chufa, and winter wheat iv. Cultivated Crops: Corn, oats, and wheat c. Goals: 1 turkey per 80 acres 2. Ruffed Grouse: a. Habitat: Early successional forests with high stem densities. Typically forests that are 10-15 years old. They like Mountain Laurels. b. Food: i. They eat green leaves ii. Hard Mast: Acorns, Catkins iii. Soft Mast: Hawthorn, Grapes, Blackberries and Black Cherry iv. Winter: Honeysuckle (both fruit and leaves), Sumac and Christmas Fern c. Breeding: i. Drumming Logs: These are logs that they stand on to beat on their chest which is known as a breeding behavior. d. Goals: 1 Ruffed Grouse per 50 acres 11-1-04 3. American Woodcock a. Habitat: Young, regenerating hardwoods. Requires the presence of moist, fertile soil. They utilize sweetgums, maples, elms, box elders, ashs, (fastgrowing hardwoods), oaks, young thick pine plantations. They like wood edges. They like protective overhead cover but in areas where the ground is still bare. They also will utilize alder swamps. During the day they like thick, woody cover but at night they will reside in old fields, wet pastures with only scattered cover. b. Food: Earthworms (primarily), insect larva (secondary) 4. Squirrels: If you manage for squirrels well you will generally have a good turkey and white-tailed deer populations. a. Habitat: A closed canopy forest with minimum 10 inch DBH. The best stands are 50-60 years old. They should provide optimal mast production. Hollow trees for wintering dens are also optimal. i. Good cavity Trees: 1. Beech 2. Sycamore 3. Silver Maple 4. Sweetgum 5. Bald Cypress 6. Older Oaks b. Food: Hard mast (pg. 188 Alabama). Beech is most preferred. Hickory is ranked second. White oaks are third. Red oaks are fourth. From Page 14 of 19 September to March a squirrel will consume 1 ½ pounds of hard mast a week. Acorns are the most important when managing for squirrels due to the amount produced. They also will eat mushrooms, and soft mast. It is good to have a diversity of red and white oaks in the management area due to the rotation of acorn production. 11-8-04 5. Fire: a. Fire is a natural occurring process i. The first fire starter was lightning ii. Fire dominated ecosystem: Specifically adapted in growth and reproduction in a fire system. b. Native Americans used fire for: i. Make travel easier ii. Increase sight for defense c. Adaptations plants have developed for fire: i. Thick bark; protects the cambium ii. Flammable leaves/needles that help carry the fire iii. Sprouts from roots iv. Long tap roots v. Serotinous cones vi. A hard seed coat that typically has to be scarified by fire for germination vii. Self-pruning; lowest limbs are high in the air. viii. Germination on bare minimum soil d. Hardwoods typically aren’t adapted to fire. 11-11-04 Fire Usage: Exotic plant control Promote certain species composition Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) HSI Models: Quantify habitat on a 0-1 scale with 0 being the lowest and 1 being the highest. These models are species specific. Select species will be effected positively and negatively. Food V1 DBH of mast Producing trees Cover V2 Canopy cover of overstory V3 DBH of overstory Page 15 of 19 (V1 * V2) .5 (.9 * .6) .5 = .73 .73 * acres = HU 11-15-04 Know the difference between a marsh and a swamp Wetland: Areas indicated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration to support and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include the terms swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas. Hydrology is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of wetlands. Potential sources: 1. Precipitation 2. Floodwater 3. Groundwater 4. Overland Flow Timing/duration influences the type and creates anoxic conditions. Wetland Ecosystems: 1. Interact with surrounding landscapes 2. Dynamic and change with disturbance and succession Types of wetlands: 1. Bogs 2. Fens 3. Marshes 4. Potholes 5. Swamps 6. Vernal Pools 7. Wet Meadows 11-17-04 Low Gradient Riverine Wetlands Bottom Land Hardwoods Landscape within active flood plain River meander: Hatchi River Major ones managed in TN Page 16 of 19 Hydrology = driving factor for bottomland hardwoods Primarily over bank flooding spring/winter Hydronamics = downgradient movement and vertical flux some zones with high water table. Floodplain features: 1. Natural levees 2. Point Bars 3. Meander Scroll 4. Oxbow Lakes: old abandoned channel curve 5. Sloughs 6. Backswamps: Important for wildlife habitat after major zone is present. 7. Terraces Floodplain Ridge: old levee deposit (where animals go to get away when backswamps flood). Rivers flood on average of 1.5 years (Return interval) Bottomland hardwoods are dynamic systems: 1. Disturbances: a. Weather events b. Insects/diseases c. Beaver 2. Undisturbed bottomland hardwoods consist of: a. Oaks b. Hickories c. Elms d. Ash e. Sweetgum Point Bar Formation: Spp.: Cottonwood/willow are formed here. Elk like cottonwood Beaver Dam: Builds dams and kills the oak, hickory, elm, ash, sweetgum (Swamp out land) Name: Water elm, buttonbush (Matter of scale) Woodcock likes these areas as they go through succession. Bottomland Hardwoods can be described as a shifting mosaic. There was originally 10,000,000 acres of Bottomland Hardwoods Page 17 of 19 Human impacts to Bottomland Hardwoods: 1. Timber harvest 2. Conversion to Ag. 3. Agriculture 4. Development a. Commercial/residential 5. Roads/powerlines Biggest problem: The most significant impacts have been channel alterations and levees/construction (channelization). Build-up levees: (Ex. Given: Miss. River) but keep water from going back to river from uplands. TWRA/USACE try to convert back Bottomland Hardwoods 15 million to 2 million in Miss. Alluvial Valley The remaining Bottomland Hardwoods are very fragmented. Major river systems in TN: 1. Obion River Basin 2. Forked Deer River Basin 3. Hatchie River -------------------- Two good systems 4. Wolf River------------------------ left (upper) 11-23-04??? Association of species to wetland ecosystem: 1. Opportunistic: Cardinal 2. Dependent: Raccoon 3. Obligate: Coot Classes of vertebrates that use wetlands: 1. Birds: Mallards 2. Mammals: Mice, mule deer, big-eared bat, beaver, river otter 3. Reptiles: Red-eared turtle, cotton-mouth, alligator 4. Amphibians: Frogs, bullfrogs, marbled salamander 5. Fish Ducks Puddle-ducks Diving-ducks Geese Swans Wading Birds Great Egret Great Blue Heron Shorebirds Sandpipers Neotropical Migrant Woodthrush Page 18 of 19 11-29-04 Functions of invertebrates in wetlands: 1. Shredders: Fiddler Crabs 2. Grazers: Snails 3. Collectors 4. Predators: Dragon Fly Wildlife communities differ among ecology. Invertebrates are critical components of wetland ecosystems Animals exhibit various degrees of dependency on wetlands Most groups of vertebrates use wetlands Invertebrates are critical in wetland processes Faunal communities vary in wetland ecosystems Mallard Life History: Habitat: Flooded bottomland hardwoods; open water marshes Primary Management Technique: Provide shelter Food: Acorns and other seeds in bottomland hardwoods, marsh vegetation in moist soil plants (sedges, flatsedges, smartweeds, large-seeded grasses, submersed aquatic plants) agricultural crops (corn, rice, wheat, soybeans) Woodduck Life History: Habitat: Bottomland hardwood forest Primary Management Technique: Artificial nest boxes Food: Acorns and same as Mallard Canada goose Life History: Habitat: Primary Management: Secure nesting; nuisance control Food: Green foliage, grain, millets Management of Hydrology: Desirable to be able to control the timing, depth and duration of flooding, ponding or saturation Page 19 of 19 Levee specifications: 1. Constructed on contours 2. Width of 2-3 meters 3. Slopes at least 4/1 4. Suitable soils 5. Significant freeboard 6. Planted in sod-forming grasses Water control structures: 1. Stop logs 2. Screw gates 3. Flap gates 4. Risers