Focus Species Forestry - Maine Audubon

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This manual groups Maine’s forested natural communities into six broad forest-ecosystem types and two special-value habitats that are the focus of the management recommendations. Appendix 2 includes the major natural communities associated with these ecosystems and special habitats. Focus species management, while primarily focused on wildlife, also seeks to maintain natural communities and native plant diversity as part of the managed forest. Forestry that emulates the range of natural disturbances associated with different forest types—such as wind, fire, disease, or insect outbreaks—can maintain natural community characteristics. When developing a forest management plan, it is important to remember that plants and animals respond differently to forest disturbances. A key difference is that animals can roam the landscape in search of appropriate habitat, but plants are rooted and stationary. Thus, while a heavy overstory removal in a cedar stand may send wintering deer to another suitable site, the stand's rare orchids that require shade and a moist forest floor may be lost for good. Accordingly, it is important to recognize those special plant habitats and rare natural communities, such as cedar seepage forests and enriched hardwoods that are most sensitive to soil disturbance and changes in shade. Uncommon natural communities such as maple-basswood-ash forests (enriched hardwoods) and cedar-spruce seepage forests are habitat for many rare plants. The showy orchis shown here is found in enriched hardwoods. Photo: Maine Natural Areas Program 6 Focus Species Forestry
3. Step by Step Guide to Focus Species Management Overview Focus species management is designed to mesh with traditional forest management. A recommended approach to focus species management is outlined below. The remainder of this chapter describes each step in greater detail. The Focus Species Management Planning Checklist (Appendix 5) is designed to help organize the overall process. Appendix 5 also contains a number of other forms designed to help organize this process. Appendix 6 includes an example with maps and completed forms for focus species forestry. 1. Identify landowner objectives and desired future condition of the forest. 2. Classify forest stands. 3. Identify and map special-value areas. 4. Review habitat management guides. 5. Identify focus species and review species management recommendations. 6. Identify appropriate mix of forest development stages and management activities. 7. Integrate landowner objectives with focus species objectives. The management plan integrates landowner objectives with the habitat needs of focus species. Photo: Maine Audubon 8. Develop and implement stand-level recommendations. 9. Monitor the forest. Step 1. Identify landowner objectives and desired future condition of the forest. Focus species management seeks to integrate conservation of a broad spectrum of forest wildlife and other elements of biodiversity with the landowner’s objectives. The first step in developing a management plan for focus species forestry is to identify and clarify the landowner’s objectives. Recommendation: Identify landowner goals and desired future condition of the forest based on financial, recreational, ecological, and other considerations appropriate to the ownership. Focus Species Forestry 7
Page 1 and 2: Focus Species Forestry A Guide to I
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Page 5 and 6: Acknowledgements The Focus Species
Page 7 and 8: 1. Introduction It’s a crisp wint
Page 9 and 10: 2. Characteristics of Focus Species
Page 11: Focus Species and Human Values Whil
Page 15 and 16: For riparian and wetland areas and
Page 17 and 18: Habitat Monitoring Habitat is the m
Page 19 and 20: Table 1. Forest Ecosystem Types and
Page 21 and 22: Table 2. Stand Development Stages S
Page 23 and 24: 5. Habitat Management Guides The fo
Page 25 and 26: Aspen-Birch _______________________
Page 27 and 28: Northern Hardwoods ________________
Page 29 and 30: Oak-Pine __________________________
Page 31 and 32: Eastern Hemlock ___________________
Page 33 and 34: Spruce-Fir ________________________
Page 35 and 36: Northern White Cedar ______________
Page 37 and 38: Riparian and Wetland Forest _______
Page 39 and 40: Vernal Pools ______________________
Page 41 and 42: 6. Focus Species Profiles and Manag
Page 43 and 44: Snowshoe Hare Distribution: Alaska
Page 45 and 46: American Marten Distribution: Alask
Page 47 and 48: White-tailed Deer Distribution: Sou
Page 49 and 50: Ruffed Grouse Distribution: Year-ro
Page 51 and 52: Black-backed Woodpecker Distributio
Page 53 and 54: Wood Thrush Distribution: Breeding-
Page 55 and 56: Magnolia Warbler Distribution: Brit
Page 57 and 58: Pine Warbler Distribution: Southern
Page 59 and 60: Eastern Towhee Distribution: Breedi
Page 61 and 62: Northern Dusky Salamander Distribut
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Wood Turtle Distribution: Nova Scot
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Late-Successional Forest Species Co
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Table 3. Focus Species Summary Tabl
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Maine Forest Service Goals for Snag
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prefer areas of low habitat intersp
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Large Ownerships: On a typical town
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9. Literature Cited Allen, T.G., an
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Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP).
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Appendix 1. Recommended Resources .
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Appendix 2. List of Focus Species H
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older forest in islands and peninsu
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Appendix 5. Focus Species Data Form
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Focus Species Habitat Worksheet Pro
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Appendix 6. Example Stand Maps and
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Focus Species Habitat Worksheet Pro
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Appendix 7. Focus Species Associate
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Appendix 9. Primary Focus Species f
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Appendix 10. Examples of Stand Clas
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Focus Species Forestry - Maine Audubon

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