Focus Species Forestry - Maine Audubon

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Oak-Pine ____________________________________________ Identification Northern red oak and white pine are the characteristic species of this ecosystem, which includes stands ranging from pure oak to pure pine. Common associates include red maple, white ash, eastern hemlock, paper and yellow birch, sugar maple, and beech. Beyond the range where red oak is common, white pine-mixed northern conifer forests should be considered part of the spruce-fir ecosystem. Ecology Oak-pine reaches its northern range limit in central Maine and on south-facing slopes in Washington County. Most of the sites where this ecosystem is found were cleared in the 17th and 18th centuries for fields or pasture. Stands dominated by white pine are found on sites that were most recently fields and on well-drained to excessively drained sand and gravel. The driest sites tend towards pitch pine in the southwest or red pine further north. Red maple increases with soil moisture. Under natural conditions, stand-replacing disturbances caused by fire or wind may have been instrumental in maintaining oak-pine forests. Burning by Native Americans may have also played a role in maintaining this type. Gray squirrels aid regeneration by burying acorns, which if not recovered, will sprout the following spring. Wildlife Oak-pine forests are the primary forested wildlife habitat in many parts of southern and central Maine. Acorns are a key food for deer, bear, wild turkey, and many other species. Large blocks of oak-pine forest are important to species such as black bear, fisher, northern goshawk, wood thrush, and scarlet tanager. Rare Species 14 rare plants Many rare insects associated with pitch pine, red pine, and jack pine Rare Natural Communities White oak-red oak forest Early Sucessional Forest Ruffed grouse Chestnut-sided warbler Eastern towhee Focus Species Mature Forest Fisher Northern goshawk Pileated woodpecker Barred owl Wood thrush Pine warbler Redback salamander Late-successional Forest No species currently known due to limited research 22 Focus Species Forestry
Oak-Pine ____________________________________________ Overview Single-tree and Group Selection Shelterwood, Small Patch Cuts, and Clearcuts Other Focus Species Management Obtaining adequate regeneration in oak-pine forests usually requires some form of shelterwood management or group-selection harvesting. In the case of white pine, timing harvests to coincide with an abundant seed year is recommended, while maintaining partial shade through the sapling phase is important to minimize weevil damage. In mixed oak-pine stands, white pine regenerates well, due in part to the light shade offered by oak canopies and perhaps the digging action of gray squirrels. On moist and rich soils, where red maple and hemlock tend to be more aggressive, maintaining pine or oak dominance may be impossible. Light single-tree selection is unlikely to maintain oak-pine except on very dry sites. Crop-tree management (see Appendix 3) focusing on the best trees combined with group selection may be used to maintain mature forest conditions. Locate groups where there are patches of advanced regeneration. Large groups will provide small patches of early successional habitat. The shelterwood system is probably the best method for regenerating and cultivating oak-pine. A regeneration harvest should occur approximately 30 years before crop trees are expected to mature. When regeneration is established, maintain the overstory below 40% crown cover to discourage shade-tolerant competitors but provide enough shade to limit pine weevil damage. A heavy shelterwood cut will also provide habitat for early successional species. Patch cuts (2-5 acres) and occasional small clearcuts will provide ideal nesting habitat for young-forest birds and browse for hare, rabbits, and deer. Low-value stands may be a good opportunity to use this approach. Maintain and encourage oak mast trees for bear, deer, turkey, squirrels, and mice. Follow recommendations for snags, cavity trees, and downed woody material and other stand-level guidelines (Section 7). Refer to landscape-level guidelines (Section 8). Mature hemlock is often indicative of sites that were not cleared for crops or permanent pasture. These sites add plant and wildlife diversity to the forest and should be maintained in a mixed-species composition if possible. References: DeGraaf et al. 1992, DeGraaf and Yamasaki 2001, Flatebo et al. 1999, Lancaster et al. 1978, Sampson et al. 1983, Seymour 1994 Focus Species Forestry 23
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 and 12: Focus Species and Human Values Whil
Page 13 and 14: 3. Step by Step Guide to Focus Spec
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: Northern Hardwoods ________________
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
Page 64 and 65: Wood Turtle Distribution: Nova Scot
Page 66 and 67: Late-Successional Forest Species Co
Page 68 and 69: Table 3. Focus Species Summary Tabl
Page 70 and 71: Maine Forest Service Goals for Snag
Page 72 and 73: prefer areas of low habitat intersp
Page 74 and 75: Large Ownerships: On a typical town
Page 76 and 77: 9. Literature Cited Allen, T.G., an
Page 78 and 79:
Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP).
Page 80 and 81:
Appendix 1. Recommended Resources .
Page 82 and 83:
Appendix 2. List of Focus Species H
Page 84 and 85:
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
Page 92 and 93:
Focus Species Habitat Worksheet Pro
Page 94 and 95:
Appendix 7. Focus Species Associate
Page 96 and 97:
Appendix 9. Primary Focus Species f
Page 98:
Appendix 10. Examples of Stand Clas
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Focus Species Forestry - Maine Audubon

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