1. 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

2. Coarse Woody Habitat
Photo courtesy of VT DEC

3. 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

4. Small Woody Habitat
Photos courtesy of VT DEC

5. 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

6. Leaf Packs
Photo courtesy of VT DEC

7. 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

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

9. 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.

10. Native Aquatic Plants
Photo courtesy of VT DEC