Landowner's Guide To Wildlife Habitat

by DeGraaf, Richard M.

• ISBN13: 9781584654674
• ISBN10: 1584654678
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-04-27
• Publisher: Univ Pr of New England

Summary

This is a concise introduction to practical forest wildlife habitat management for private landowners, who own most of the forested habitat in New England, the eastern United States, and adjacent Canada. In non-technical terms, experts from the U.S. Forest Service provide useful information about plans that can improve forests, enhance production of forest products, increase the diversity of wildlife, and increase enjoyment of forest lands through sound forest management. The book discusses the history of land use and natural changes in forest environments, why species come and go, and how the scale and presence of special features can create a diversity of wildlife habitats. The authors explain management strategies that contribute to wildlife diversity, how to set goals and work with professional foresters to meet your goals, and project how managed lands will look in the future. They show how to determine what kinds of habitat will be used by various wildlife species, how to consider land capability and the mixture of habitat features necessary to attract desired species groups, and how to get started changing existing vegetative conditions through thoughtful management. Exceptional full-color illustrations, charts, and tables enhance the clear presentation of the text, geared specifically for landowners interested in getting started on improving habitat conditions on their land.

Author Biography

RICHARD M. DEGRAAF is Leader of the U.S. Forest Service Wildlife Habitat Research Unit at Amherst, Massachusetts. Among his many publications are New England Wildlife: Habitat, Natural History, and Distribution (UPNE, 2000), and Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Attracting Birds, second edition, revised (UPNE, 2002). MARIKO YAMASAKI is Research Wildlife Biologist at the U.S. Forest Service in Durham, New Hampshire. She is co-author of UPNE's New England Wildlife: Habitat, Natural History, and Distribution. WILLIAM B. LEAK is principal silviculturalist with the Northern Hardwoods Research Unit, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station in Durham, New Hampshire. ANNA M. LESTER is a wildlife biologist who conducts geographical information systems research for the U.S. Forest Service Wildlife Research Unit in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(13)
Background	4	(4)
Pre-European Conditions	8	(2)
European Settlement Period	10	(1)
Wildlife Responses to Landscape Change	11	(1)
Why Can't We Just Let Nature Take Its Course?	12	(2)
Understanding Wildlife Habitats	14	(17)
Wildlife Habitat	14	(5)
Community Organization and Structure	19	(2)
Management Practices	21	(6)
Other Factors Affecting Wildlife Populations	27	(4)
Visualizing Forest Change and Wildlife Responses	31	(48)
Northern New England	32	(25)
No Management Scenario	34	(6)
Uneven-Aged Management Scenario	40	(6)
Even-Aged Management Scenario	46	(11)
Summary	57	(1)
Southern New England	57	(22)
No Management Scenario	60	(5)
Uneven-Aged Management Scenario	65	(3)
Even-Aged Management Scenario	68	(10)
Summary	78	(1)
Getting Started: An Inventory Checklist and a Prescription Key	79	(12)
Monitoring Your Success	88	(1)
Points to Remember	89	(2)
Appendixes	91	(12)
Appendix A Common Woodland Wildlife Species Occurring in New England	91	(8)
Appendix B Agencies and Organizations That Provide Technical Information	99	(4)
State Agencies That Provide Habitat Management Recommendations in New England	99	(1)
State Natural Heritage Programs That Provide Information on Ecosystems and Rare Species in New England	100	(1)
State Cooperative Extension Wildlife Specialists in New England	100	(1)
Sources of Spatial Information for Landscape Context in New England	101	(1)
Timberland and Woodland Owners Groups in New England	101	(1)
New England Forestry Links on the Internet	102	(1)
Note on the Images Created to Visualize Forest Change	103	(4)
Literature Cited	107	(2)
Further Reading	109