Management of Edge Habitats Ryan Pankau NRCS Forester Murphysboro, Illinois USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Helping People Help the Land John Groninger Forestry Professor SIU Carbondale

Outline  Types of edge  Assessing your edge – Making a plan  Common issues in edges  Management solutions and NRCS Practices  Management Example – The Groninger Farm

Woodland Edge  Defined as the transition zone between maturing forest and adjacent habitats.

 Induced – caused by human activities such as agriculture, timber harvest, or development. Constantly changing. Types of Edge  Inherent – created by natural divisions such as soil type, topography, etc. Tend to be relatively stable.

Types of Edge  Forest meets grassland  Forest meets cropland  Forest meets forest  Forest meets water  Tree spp meet other tree spp  So IL pine stands  Effect of scale

Defining Edge Habitat  Think about these differences:  Mature forest meets grassland  Pure pine stand meets mixed pine stand  Plum thicket meets tallgrass prairie  Bunch grass clumps meets bare ground between clumps  Scale matters to wildlife spp of concern  Differences in habitat structure within a given cover type may not qualify as edge

Assessing Your Edge Habitat and Making a Plan

Assessing Your Edge  Define Management Objectives/Goals  Wildlife habitat and species of concern  Timber resources  Aesthetics and recreation  Soil and water conservation

Assessing Your Edge  Survey and inventory your edge habitats  Plant composition, structure, age class, etc  Erosion issues  Area/length of edge compared to other habitats  How much edge do you want/need?

How much edge is enough?  More edge = More wildlife  Not always true!  Highly dependent on wildlife management objectives, species of concern  Consider degree of Forest Fragmentation in your area

Forest Fragmentation  Some ground nesting birds are negatively impacted by edge. Edge may make it easier for predators to raid nests.

Who can help plan?  IDNR  District Wildlife Biologists  District Foresters  NRCS  Field Offices servicing every county  Consulting Foresters

Common Issues in Edges  Invasives  Erosion  Management

Edge is Dynamic  Dynamic nature of Edge Habitats poses management challenges  High light promotes a greater variety of plant spp  Location is often a high traffic area  Humans and wildlife  Constantly fighting plant succession

Management of Edge

Aspects of Management  What are some of the things we can manage?  Plant structure  Plant diversity/species composition  Physical layout of edge  Erosion control

More edge or less?  Don’t take out existing forest to gain edge.  Take advantage of such programs as CRP to expand or create edge.  Your goal should be to expand the edge while helping or buffering the existing woods.

Aspects of Mgmnt  Plant Diversity and Species Composition  Plant Structure  Stem Density

Den trees  Leave at least one den or “wolf” tree per acre of edge.

Maintenance  You will have to cut or mow to maintain this area, highly dynamic  Fall burns can also improve habitat if done correctly and safely.  Be aggressive when dealing with invasive species such as honey suckle and garlic mustard.

Low-Contrast vs. High- contrast edges

Wildlife tree and shrub spp  American Hazelnut  American Plum  Dogwood Species  Red Bud (Winter Hardy?)  Serviceberry  Other species

NRCS Practices  Filter Strip  Edge Feathering  Tree and Shrub Planting  Forest Stand Improvement  Riparian Buffers

Management Example -The Groninger Farm-

Groninger Farm  12.4 acres of forest  6.4 acres of cropland  3,100 ft. of edge habitat

Edge Habitat 3,100 Ft.

Avoid  Straight lines  Non native species  Corn and soybeans don’t make good edge species.

Wildlife Brush Piles  Woody material constructed to furnish additional escape, nesting, resting or winter cover for wildlife  Readily available material from Intermediate Forest Management Practices  Several strategically placed or well dispersed medium- size piles are more beneficial than one large one  Living brush piles can be constructed by hinge cutting 3-5 small hardwood saplings towards a center-point and amending with limbs and brush  Foundation is important for cavities and longevity Large material on bottom allows for a hollow core and keeps smaller limbs off the ground to help prevent decay.

Equal Opportunity The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). Helping People Help the Land