1. Intermediate Use Areas: Considerations and Tools
Silvics & Silviculture: An Introduction
09/11/2006
Intermediate Use Areas: Considerations and Tools
The Woods In Your Backyard Program
This presentation was developed to be used as part of a 2-3 hours evening session for landowners or general audiences. It provides some explanation of the issues and why they may be interested and then goes to explain the publication and how it is intended to be used. This could be used as an introductory workshop for the classes that follow. Some video clips will hopefully be developed that can be included in the presentation as well.
It is assumed that copies of the publication will be provided to the audience so that they can follow along with the presentation.
Forest Landowner Workshop Series

2. What You Will Learn:
Options for converting lawns and intermediate use areas to natural areas.
Tools and equipment considerations

3. Time line for Forestry Activities
Age of Woodland
0 -5 yrs yrs yrs yrs
Field to Young Canopy Advanced Older
Forest Growth Closure Growth Growth
Tree Planting Weeding Commercial Regeneration Weeding Thinning Thinning
Establishing natural areas is part of a process or timeline that will ultimately result in a mature woodland. The vegetation will change which changes the habitat and the types of wildlife that will inhabit the areas. For example, the rabbits or the old field will transition to squirrels.

4. Silvics & Silviculture: An Introduction
09/11/2006
Your Property in the Landscape:
Looking for Opportunities
Consider habitat of surrounding properties
Adding on to existing forest areas – red vs orange area?
Forest Landowner Workshop Series

5. Plant Drainage Areas Potential Riparian Areas Use Soil Survey or your Eyes
Create fewer & larger natural areas
Areas with high potential for water quality and habitat value

6. What Are The Options? Depends on Your Objectives!
Maintain a view? Retire a sloped area? Wildlife habitat closer?
Enhance a storm retention pond? Create a wildlife corridor?

7. Connection to Wooded Properties!
Consider working with neighboring property to create corridor or larger area

8. Options for Converting Lawn and Other Intermediate Areas
Natural Areas Without Tree Cover:
Occasional mowing
Warm season grasses & wildflower fields
Convert to Woodland:
Managing natural succession
Maintain old field areas
Tree planting

9. Range of Options to Establish Natural Areas
Maintain early succession cover
Mow every 2-4 years
Mow once a year

10. Mow every 3 years in strips Habitat for turkeys, quail, etc
Turkeys and quail need a diversity of early successional habitat for the young poults to find insects in the spring. They also need nearby forest where they can roost at night in the trees.

11. Warm Season Grasses & Native Wildflower Fields
Create unique habitat for wildlife
Requires complete removal of present vegetation, purchase of seed ($$), intensive management, special equipment for planting.
2-3 years to become established
Seed for wildflowers, warm season grasses expensive.
Cost share programs are available
3-acres WSG

12. Maintain Existing Old Field Succession
Silvics & Silviculture: An Introduction
09/11/2006
Maintain Existing Old Field Succession
Many existing old fields can be maintained by killing hardwoods that establish themselves. Provides unique habitat
Forest Landowner Workshop Series

13. Manage Old Field Succession & Young Forests
Control invasive species
Clear around tree species you want to succeed.
Low cost but requires regular maintenance

14. Succession & Wildlife Habitat
What succession stage or habitat type is most limiting for the wildlife of interest?

15. Garrett Co Eastern Shore Early Successional Species Vary by Region

16. Establish Trees
By planting
Natural regeneration

17. Reasons for Tree Planting
Reforestation
Water Quality
Develop Wildlife Habitat
Windbreak
Noise Buffer
Aesthetics

18. Hedgerows - Privacy Long narrow forest areas between fields
Should be at least 50’ wide
Use a combination of trees and shrubs
Mix evergreens and deciduous

19. Windbreaks Use evergreens Plant at least 4 rows deep if possible
Stagger rows so that it fills in quicker

20. Planting for water quality
Buffers should be at least 35 feet wide for water quality.
Need 100 wide buffer for maximum wildlife benefit.
Whatever you can provide is a benefit and worth the effort.

21. Tree Planting Using Seedlings
Bare root seedlings available from MD State Forest Nursery in spring. Minimum of 100 trees per order. A Great Deal!
Explain that seedlings are usually grown from native seed for two years and sold bareroot. Purchased online an mailed after notification to landowners. Only done in the spring.

22. Reforestation
Most reforestation projects use seedlings at 400 per acre. Fewer if desired.
Select the proper tree for the site
Keep the seedlings fresh
Seedlings should be planted in March or early April
Mechanical tree planting

23. Site Preparation Fall prior to Planting:
Cut the grass to a low height if needed.
Kill competing vegetation within 3 feet of trees using herbicide or mechanical methods
Check for presence of voles and treat if needed

24. Tree Planting Methods commercial hand planter
Volunteers - Urbana High students
Mechanical tree planting

25. Protecting Young Seedlings
Installing tree shelters
Deer fencing
Planting tree seedlings without deer protection is a
recipe for failure in most areas of Maryland!

26. Tree Shelters Maintenance Source of Supply
Tree shelters from older plantings can be used
Older shelters may harm trees. Nets prevent bird entry.

27. Maintaining Plantation
Three mowings per season is ideal with herbiciding of the tree rows.
The cover crop is important. Dense enough to exclude weeds …but open enough to not harbor mice and voles.
Planting seedlings in turf without killing the vegetation within 3 ft is a recipe for disaster!
The Headless Mower

28. Voles are very destructive: Be proactive
Vole damage on a sapling
The meadow vole

29. Herbicides and Weeding
Herbicide & mowing during the first few growing season to control competing vegetation.
Mowing can help to reduce competition but fails to remove the competition from around the trees. If you are planting in turf killing the turf around the trees is essential for success.

30. Herbicide strips or circles around each tree
Roundup is safe, available and commonly used. Other herbicides will kill vegetation for a long period of time.

31. Weedings Mowing Vine removal Invasive Species Control
Managing this young stand might involve mowing the grasses

32. Control Invasive Species Before They Become Established!

33. As trees grow and crowns close let it go “wild”
Be aware of county ordinances for ROW and weeds

34. Sources of Assistance & Materials (See information sheet)
University of MD Extension Forest Stewardship Education website
MD DNR Forest Service state forester
Backyard Buffers – MD DNR
Seedlings from John S. Ayton State Forest Nursery operated by MD DNR Forest Service
Tree shelters – look online
Forest herbicides – see info sheet