Habitat Management

Habitat Management

-a practice that seeks to conserve, protect, and restore habitat areas for native and non-native species, in order to maintain sustainable yields and limit damage to overall carrying capacity of the land

Habitat

-the natural environment of an organism

-the place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism

Niche

-the position or function of an organism in a community of plants and animals

-the area on a ranch where a particular species tends to be more prevalent

-determined by water sources, food sources, shelter, loafing areas, altitude, predators, compatibility with other species, temperament

Forage

-first factor of successful habitat is identifying and managing food sources

-plant identification is a vital part of this process=several extensive databases exist to help landowners with this process, biologists/consultants will also analyze this data, knowing what natural food sources the land has will allow landowners and managers to supplement when needed and maximize the money spent on feed or minerals (different plant communities will provide varying levels of nutritional value over the course of a year)

-it is important for managers to research and understand forge sources native to their climate and region=10 recognized regions in the state of texas, all with different plant communities, needs, and management strategies

-must also factor in seasonal differences in forage production and intake

Forbs

-also called weeds or wildflowers, are flowering dicotyledonous broadleaf herbaceous plants that grow from an embryo containing two seed leaves and without parallel leaf veins

-forbs may be classified as annual or perennial and warm season or cool season

-common forbs found in north central texas are bluebonnets (cool season annual), native sunflowers (warm season annual), engelmanndaisy (cool season perennial), and maximillian sunflower (warm season perennial)

-forage and seeds provided by forbs are important food items in the diets of many wildlife species

-forbs also provide cover and protection from predators

Browse

-the leaves and tender twigs of woody plants eaten by herbivorous animals

-browse is an important component in the diet of white-tailed deer

-excessive browsing due to high populations of deer or livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, or exotic ungulates) may result in a browse line forming on woody vegetation where all leaves and twigs from ground level to 4 feet are eaten and removed from the plants

-examples=in north central texas, important browse species include oak species, cedar elm, coralberry, rough-leaf dogwood, flame-leaf sumac, greenbriar, bumelia, hackberry, texas ash, western soapberry, yucca, lotebush, redbud, mexican buckeye, elbowbush, poison ivy, deciduous holly, and skunkbush sumac

Grasses

-flowering monocotyledonous plants that grow from an embryo containing only one seed leaf and having leaves with parallel veins

-grass species found in north central texas may be classified as annual or perennial and cool season or warm season

-examples=little bluestem (warm season perennial), texas wintergrass (cool season perennial), crabgrass (warm season annual), and rescuegrass (cool season annual)

-grasses are important food items for many wildlife species and provide nesting habitat for others

-ground cover provided by grasses reduces soil erosion and provide cover for wildlife

Mast

-nuts, acorns, seed, fruits, or berries produced by woody plants

-examples=live oak acorns, plums, bumelia beries, grapes, and pecans

-fruits of plants such as pricklypear cactus may also be classified as mast

Aldo Leopold

-considered to be the father of wildlife management in the united states=wrote that 5 basic tools (concepts) can be used to manage wildlife and manipulate habitats

-axe=mechanical and chemical removal/controls

-cow=rotational livestock grazing

-plow=disking, food plots, native plants, mowing

-fire=prescribed burns

-gun=population control

Acre

-an area of land containing 43,560 square feet or 10 square chains

-a square acre would be about 209ft by 209ft

-a circular acre would have a radius of 117.75ft

Competition

-the struggle among adjacent trees from growth requirements such as sunlight, nutrients, water and growing space

-competition goes on among both the roots and crowns of trees in the same stand

Topographic Map

-a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines

Relief

-change in elevation

Succession

-the replacement of one plant community by another until ecological stability (climax forest) is achieved

Edge

-the boundary where two or more different types of vegetation or successional stages meet

-edges attract many different wildlife species because of a variety of food, cover, and other habitat requirements are arranged close together

Primary Succession

-begins with no life

-no soil present

-new area (e.g. volcanic island)

-lichen and moss come first

-biomass is low

Secondary Succession

-follows removal of existing biota

-soil already present

-old area (e.g. following a bush fire)

-seeds and roots already present

-biomass is higher

Clearcut

-a harvesting and regeneration method which removes all the trees (regardless of size) on an area

-clearcutting is most used with species like pine which require full sunlight to reproduce and grow well

-clearcutting produces an even-aged forest stand

Climax Forest

-the final stage of plant succession in which species composition remains relatively stable

-the climax forest for most of east texas would be the oak-hickory forest type

-pine is an intermediate species prior to the climax forest

DBH

-abbreviation for tree diameter at breast height (4 ½ feet above the ground)

-usually measured in inches

Direct Seeding

-a method of artificial regeneration whereby tree seeds are sown on the surface of a prepared site

Slash

-tree tops, branches, bark or other residue left on the ground after logging, pruning, or other forest operations

Pulpwood

-wood cut primarily to be converted into wood pulp for the manufacturer of paper, fiberboard, or other wood fiber products

-pulpwood size trees are usually a minimum of 4 inches DBH

Chip-n-Saw

-a process that makes small logs into cants, converting part of the outside of the log into chips, cants are then sawed into lumber

-small pine logs 7 to 10 inches in DBH to a 5-inch top

Sawlog

-a log large enough to be carved into lumber

-usually at least 10 to 12 inches in diameter

Food Plots

-designated areas that are planted with a highly desirable, nutritious plant or mixture of plants that wildlife utilize

-summer plots and fall plots

Firebreak

-fire lane

-a natural or man-made barrier usually created by the removal of brush, trees, leaves, and other vegetation

-used to prevent the spread of fire

Mechanical Brush Control

-very common tool used by managers

-used more in south and central texas lands

-uses heavy equipment to dig, drag, root up, mulch or bury brush and create openings for wildlife and other management techniques

-usually used in conjunction with one or more other management tools to keep control permanent

Sendero’s for Wildlife

-a winding network of cleared lanes, known as senderos, through woodlands branching from food plots and/or natural clearings to the outer perimeters of a tract can serve many purposes

-providing additional access throughout the property

-planting of winter and/or summer food plots

-establishment of native pasture seeded with a desirable mix of native plant species compatible to the soil type

-allowing the re-establish into native pasture from the existing seed source present in the soil

-creating fire breaks for annual prescribed burning

-hunting and wildlife viewing lanes

-should wind and not be straight paths=reduces the distance of visibility to suppress poaching from adjacent properties and encourage maximum deer utilization in these areas

-should have a width of at least 75 feet to allow sunlight to reach the soil surface needed to dry and warm the soil and for plant growth

-normally cleared with by mechanical means

Water Sources

-a key factor in habitat management=can also affect the movement patterns of animals

-existing water sources=where are they located, how far apart are they, how many acre-feet are they (how much water), how can we improve our water situation

-windmills, overflow of livestock water systems, catch dams, and rainwater harvesting can improve the amount of water on the lands

Acre-Foot

-the amount of water it would take to cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot

-325,851 gallons of water

-standard measurement of agricultural irrigation

Artesian Well

-water pushed upward by the hydrostatic pressure of a confined aquifer

-overuse of artesian wells lowers the water table and sometimes makes nearby land sink (subsidence)

Shelter/Sanctuary Areas

-areas of habitat that are used by species to hide and rest without worry of being disturbed by manmade disturbance or predation

-generally located in heavily wooded areas with minimal openings

-allow species to feel safe from predation and human interaction

-provide shelter from bad weather

-general rule=leave stands of thick cover of 20-50 acres in size with no man-made clearings

-interaction of different species will determine use of sanctuary areas by said specues, must be considered when looking at shelter areas as some species may dominate the only available areas and push others out

Shredding/Mowing

-in absence of burning shredding can be done to promote new plant growth by removing overgrown vegetation and reduced competition with dominate plant species

-do not mow less than 4-6in from ground level=protects plant vigor

-shredding in february promotes forb growth

-shredding in midsummer promotes native grass=do not shred large blocks of property (reduces ground cover), mow strips or meandering lanes with cover nearby (improves edge)

-can also be done on fields with standing crops of wheat or milo for doves=shred the field and strips at 2-week intervals

-shredding can also be done and managed wetlands to control nuisance vegetation

-shredding is not an effect of brush control technique

Disking

-increases annual forbs and plant diversity

-disking acts as a disturbance by breaking up the top 2-4 inches of soil and turns over plants that are growing

-exposes annual forbs seeds in soil

-easy way to naturally produce food plots and save money=frequency of disking can vary from 1-2 years, best time to disk is december-february for forbs, no need to disk entire field=disk strips 20 feet wide and 100 yards long near cover

-bare ground left from disking makes great firebreak

-not good for removing unwanted grass