RIVER BENDS PARK-WEST AND HOLLAND ... - Shelby Township

EXISTING CONDITIONS FOR 'STAND 2. SOUTHWEST CLEARING'
Land area: 3.4 Acres
Land use history:
It appears that this small spot may have been cleared along with the adjacent large landfill area to the west,
or with the open fields now used for trailer/recreational vehicle storage adjacent to the south.
Forest Type:
-Existing: Birch-Cottonwood-Pine Savannah
-Potential: Same
Successional trend: This is a mostly open clearing, with a few scattered paper birch, cottonwood, Scots
pine, red cedar and sycamore trees of pole size or smaller. There are also willows, buckthorn, autumn olive,
blue spruce and ground juniper. Ground vegetation includes grasses, sedges, bulrush, black-eyed Susan,
butterflyweed, white asters and spotted Joe-Pye-weed. The soils map indicates that this clearing was part of
a larger gravel pit in the past, although the land surface is more flat than bowl-shaped as most gravel pits are.
If left alone this clearing will probably follow its natural successional trend toward an upland forest of the
same tree species.
Forest health: The trees and other vegetation appear to be quite healthy, with no apparent insect or disease
infestations.
Site quality: Site quality is not known, with no indication of poor quality.
Approximate age: 42 Size Class: Poles (5.5 - 11.5")
Trees per acre: 2-4 Mean Stand Diameter: 8 in.
Basal Area (BA): Very low Acceptable BA:
Growth Rate: % Timber Quality:
Stocking: This clearing has only scattered trees, as described above.
Stand volume:
Habitat and wildlife use: This clearing is not a forest opening in the usual sense, because it is not
surrounded by forest but is adjacent to large private land field areas to the west and south. Still the value of
this clearing to a variety of wildlife species in the adjacent forest is fairly high. It offers turkeys and other
birds, deer, mice and other animals areas to feed on plant foods and abundant insects in summer, in relative
safety without venturing out into the very large open fields west and south. Because this clearing has some
larger trees along the west and south edges, and the forest to the east and north, it is likely also used as a
hunting ground for hawks and owls, perching in some of the same trees that offer visual cover for deer and
others. It is likely that this clearing is or may be used by woodcock for their courtship flights.
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