MANAGING
PRIVATE FORESTS FOR TIMBER AND WILDLIFE HABITAT
Privately owned forests contribute
many benefits to our society. Two of the most important benefits are the
jobs and income they provide for numerous members of our society, and also the
habitat they provide for numerous species of fish and
wildlife. Since many of the private forestlands in the west
are at lower elevations, they are also very important as winter range habitat
for big game. The availability of quality forage in the winter months is
one of the greatest limiting factors of wildlife populations. By
providing more winter forage we can increase carrying capacity for wildlife,
livestock, or both.
Private forests are owned by a
wide variety of individuals and corporations with many different management
interests. However, many landowners today share the common goal of
deriving income from their timber, as well as providing quality habitat for
wildlife. Some desire quality habitat simply for the wildlife’s
sake, others know that improved habitat means more game animals and bigger
antlers, which means better hunting. Better hunting usually equals higher
income for outfitters and guides.
This article describes some
techniques, which can be used by private landowners interested in managing
their property for better timber production, and better wildlife habitat.
When a landowner is interested in
managing their property for timber and wildlife on a long-term basis, one of
the greatest tools they can have is a Forest Management Plan. First of
all, a Forest Management Plan will identify the goals of the landowner, and
will describe the resources available on the property. Then the plan will
discuss how the resources such as timber, elk, deer, fish, water, etc. will be
managed through time to meet the landowners goals. The beauty of these
plans is that they frequently identify problems and opportunities, which can be
managed to produce more income and improved habitat.
With an approved Forest Management
Plan in place, and sometimes without, a landowner has the ability to apply for cost share money to pay
for activities which enhance forests and wildlife habitat, such as tree
planting, grass seeding, control of undesireable vegetation, prescribed
burning, stream enhancement, etc. These funds are available through
various private, state and federal programs. Public agencies such as the Farm
Service Agency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Natural Resources
Conservation Service and state Fish & Wildlife departments administer the
various public programs. A small sample of private conservation
organizations which have cost share programs are the Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and Trout
Unlimited. It is important to note that these cost share programs come
and go according to the funding a particular organization has, so it is
important to check with as many sources as possible when seeking cost share
money.
Wildlife has four basic
requirements, which need to be addressed when managing forests: food, water,
cover, and space. The following management techniques can be used by
landowners to improve wildlife habitat on their property regardless of the size
of their land.
There are many benefits to forests
and wildlife, which come from commercial thinning. First of all, there is
income to the landowner from the logs produced. And when thinned
correctly, the growth rate and nutrients available to the remaining trees is
increased. More forage is available for wildlife after thinning since the
forest canopy has been opened, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor and
promote the growth of grasses and forbs. Since fire has been removed from
many forest ecosystems, logging often provides the ground disturbance necessary
to provide a seed bed for new grasses, shrubs, and forbs.
Commercial thinning often also
makes it possible to prescribe a controlled underburn, since many of the ladder
fuels have been removed which will keep the fire on the ground and allow it to
creep along at a low intensity. Forage production for wildlife is often
greatly increased after a low intensity fire has burned off old woody plants
and debris, creating a seedbed where new plant life can flourish, and woody plants are rejuvenated.
Pre-commercially thinning trees
that are young, unmerchantable and growing too densely also benefits wildlife
and forests. Cutting the surplus trees increases available nutrients to
the remaining trees and gives them the physical space needed to grow to their
fullest potential.
After performing any type of
commercial or pre-commercial thinning it is often possible to seed in grasses
& forbs. Applying a mix of grasses & forbs to areas with exposed
soil will increase the forage production within forests. So while these
forests are providing hiding and thermal cover they can also provide
forage. This should increase the total amount of available forage for
wildlife on a given property, an important factor to consider, if the property
is winter range for big game. Increasing the quantity and quality of
forage will also likely cause more frequent use of an area by wildlife.
This could be particularly important if you are trying to attract more big game
to use, and stay, on your property.
As forests grow and the tree
canopies start to grow together, they slowly shade out many types of grasses
& forbs. So the forage production does slowly diminish until the area
is thinned again, or a clearcut harvest occurs. What types of grasses
should be used is a site-specific question which should be addressed for every
different property. Some common grass varieties that are preferred by elk
for example are fescue, blue bunch grasses, and orchardgrass. Some common
forbs include clover, lupines, and trefoil.
Pruning trees is another technique
that can enhance timber production and value, as well as wildlife
habitat. Pruning increases the future quality and value of the timber
when it is harvested. Pruning also makes it easier for animals to travel
through the forest. Forage production can also be increased, since there
are less limbs to block sunlight from reaching the forest floor.
Wildlife security is a very
important factor to consider when planning forest management activities.
If animals do not feel secure in an area they will not utilize whatever forage
may be available to its full potential, this essentially decreases the
effectiveness of the property for attracting and supporting wildlife.
There are a variety of things that can be done to increase security for
wildlife.
Obviously, the more secure an
animal feels, the more likely they are to use open areas where forage is
typically abundant. Placing gates on roads is a very effective way to
reduce vehicle traffic. But in areas where it is not possible to close
roads, maintaining a visual buffer from the road will increase wildlife
security. For example, if an area is selected for a clearcut harvest,
leaving an uncut strip of timber along any well-traveled road will provide a
visual buffer, and increased security. After the trees in the clearcut
area have grown tall enough to provide hiding cover, one may harvest the trees
that were left in the strip. When performing commercial thinning along
well-traveled roads, leaving the timber slightly denser near the road will
provide a visual buffer also.
Clearcuts, though unpopular with
many people, do provide a significant source of forage for big game and other wildlife
for many years after they are cut. The problem with clearcuts is they
usually require an access road. To increase security and allow full
utilization of the available forage, blocking road access is very
important. Creating irregular shaped borders will also increase the
security of the clearcut. Irregular edges will create more visual buffer
than a clearcut that is a perfect square for example.
Leaving scattered large trees in a
clearcut area provides a source of future snags, downed logs, nesting sites,
and a small amount of cover. The aesthetics of this is appealing to many
people as well. Leaving widely scattered, very small brush clumps in
clearcut areas is beneficial to many species also. For example, in
western Oregon and Washington, Roosevelt elk and ruffed grouse utilize vine
maple clumps extensively in the winter months. The clumps provide forage
and hiding cover.
Creating ponds where roads cross
very small streams creates more riparian habitat, and increases water availability
for wildlife. The ponds also provide a source of water for water trucks
in the event of a wildfire. Maintaining riparian zones along streams is
extremely important for wildlife. Riparian areas support a variety of
plant life that is critical to many species, and does not grow on upland
areas. Most states allow limited timber harvesting in riparian
zones. When trees are harvested it is important to fell the trees away
from the stream and out of the riparian zone. This technique minimizes disturbance
to plant life in the area.
During timber harvest, a
considerable amount of slash is usually accumulated. Removing as much of
the slash as possible from the harvest area increases the amount of exposed
soil where improved forage production may then occur. One way to remove
the slash efficiently is with whole tree yarding. This means that the
whole tree, limbs and all, is hauled to the log landing. The limbs are
then removed at the landing where they are piled and can possibly be burned
later.
Another method of removing the
slash is to cut the limbs off the tree in the harvest area, and then perform a
controlled broadcast burn. This type of burn, when conducted under the
proper conditions will eliminate the majority of the slash, recycle nutrients
quickly, and prepare an excellent seed bed for grasses, forbs, shrubs, and a
new forest. Forage production is often significantly improved following
this type of burn. This type of burn also reduces the risk of wildfire in
the future. If a wildfire should occur, it will burn much less
intensively since much of the fuel was removed during a controlled, safe
situation.
Maintaining a
variety of forest conditions on a given property will ensure that a variety of
habitat conditions will be maintained over time. For example, clearcut
harvesting is a significant component of many landowners’ forest management
plans. Harvesting on a small percentage of the property each year, and
replanting, will eventually create a forest with many different age classes,
many different habitats, and a continual supply of high quality forage for many
different species. Many of our western forests contain trees of all ages,
commonly called uneven-aged. Selective harvesting which removes
individual trees from several different age classes will ensure that the
uneven-aged structure, and a variety of habitat conditions, is maintained in
these forests.
The properties that I manage using
some or all of these techniques are a win-win-win situation, for people,
timber, and wildlife. People have income from the forest, timber
productivity is maintained at high levels, and wildlife flourishes, which
creates high quality hunting opportunities. When practicing wise
forest/habitat management, we can have our cake and eat it too!
Author: Tony
Pranger
Professional
Forester
This document is also available in Adobe format by clicking here: Forests for Timber and Wildlife Habitat
If you
don’t have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it by clicking here: 