Includes large logs more than 6 inches wide Coarse Woody Habitat Includes large logs more than 6 inches wide Provides habitat and protection for fish of all sizes, as well as other aquatic animals like turtles and aquatic insects Provides substrate for biofilm, the base of the food chain in lakes Lost from littoral areas because of shoreline tree removal

Coarse Woody Habitat Photo courtesy of VT DEC

Includes branches and sticks less than Small Woody Habitat Includes branches and sticks less than 6 inches wide Provides habitat and protection for small fish, crayfish and aquatic insects including dragonflies May provide food for some “shredders” like crayfish Lost from littoral areas because of shoreline tree, sapling and shrub removal

Small Woody Habitat Photos courtesy of VT DEC

Includes leaves that fall into lake from shoreline vegetation Leaf Packs Includes leaves that fall into lake from shoreline vegetation Important component of the food web; “shredders” like crayfish and some aquatic insects eat this coarse organic matter Provides habitat to some aquatic animals Lost from littoral areas because of shoreline vegetation removal

Leaf Packs Photo courtesy of VT DEC

Habitat that ranges in size from gravel to boulders Rocky Substrate Habitat that ranges in size from gravel to boulders Many fish use gravel or cobblestones to build breeding nests; others lay eggs in the spaces between rocks Provides important habitat space for many important aquatic insects Habitat is lost from littoral areas because of increased erosion and sedimentation of the land when vegetated buffers are removed. Fine sediment and sand covers rocks and fills in the spaces between them, depleting the habitat of oxygen, killing fish eggs and displacing aquatic insects

Rocky Substrate Photos courtesy of VT DEC Caddisfly with case Mayfly Nymph Photos courtesy of VT DEC Caddisfly with case Crayfish

Native Aquatic Plants Important habitat and cover for fish, birds, amphibians and aquatic insects, especially dragonflies Provide critical nursery areas for young fish Stabilize lake bottom, creating firmer substrate Removal of vegetated buffer may result in more sunlight and nutrient runoff in the littoral area, allowing for greater plant growth. It is often non-native plants that colonize newly disturbed areas.

Native Aquatic Plants Photo courtesy of VT DEC