Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

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Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 4. Biological ResourcesPruning and other maintenance activities will improve the quality of the timber in the forest lot.Selectively eliminating diseased and infested trees will improve the overall health of the forest. Wildlifeshould also be considered when harvesting a forest area. Brush piles made of cut limbs and saplingsprovide cover for small game, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Dead, standing trees (called snags) areutilized by cavity nesting birds and other wildlife for shelter. Insects that eat the decaying wood materialprovide food for many forest birds, as well. Although, snags that are particularly large or hazardousshould be downed to eliminate the safety risk, some snags should remain to provide habitat. Downedwoody debris should also be left for creatures of the forest floor, such as amphibians, spiders, insects, etc.Maintaining a diversity of tree species in a forest is important to protect the forest from thedevastating effects of insect and disease outbreaks. Plantation-style monocultures (an area consistingprimarily of one species) are particularly vulnerable to invasive pest species that attack one species orfamily of trees, such as the emerald ash borer. More will be discussed on invasive species later in thischapter.Forestlands also offer products other than timber, which can be utilized for income by the landowner.Herbs and mushrooms harvested in a sustainable manner may provide ample educational, recreational,and economical benefits. Botanicals and medicines may be derived from forest species. Wreaths and othercrafts can be made from limbs, vines, and other forest vegetation. Other forest products include: maplesyrup, fence posts, fuel wood, fruits, and nuts.Successional Forest HabitatWhen a disturbance occurs in a forest, such as a logging, or perhaps a natural event, such as atornado, or as the edge of a forested area transitions over time, the process called “succession” occurs.Succession is the natural process of forest regeneration overtime. For example, if an area adjacent to aforest once occupied by croplands laid fallow, herbaceous vegetation, like wildflowers and grasses, wouldoccupy the area. As time went on, shrubs and small woody vegetation, tree seedlings and saplings, wouldgrow. Eventually, trees would establish, and a mature forest habitat would again occupy the land. Theentire process may take a very long time, and can occur at varying scales from several hundred acres tovery small areas, such as that created when an old tree falls in a forest and opens a gap of canopy.The period in the process when the ecosystem is referredto as “early-successional” habitat, is when the land is primarilyoccupied by grasses, herbaceous vegetation, and small shrubsand tree saplings. This type of edge habitat is critical forcertain species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, etc.During this time, grasses, seeds, berries, and twigs provideabundant forage, and shrubs and dense vegetation offer coverand safety for birds and small mammals. A variety of wildlifespecies prefer this stage of succession, such as rabbits,warblers, and American woodcock (Rodewald, 2006).During the middle-successional stage of forestregeneration, otherwise known as the pole timber stage, treesGrassland bordered by forest nearHarmony is in early successionare growing and dominate the landscape. The understory is still relatively dense, with seedlings and someshrubby species that are more tolerant of shade. Some trees may still be competing for light with moredominantcanopy trees. Salamanders and interior-forest birds may prefer this type of transitional habitat(Pennsylvania Envirothon, 2007).Once trees mature, the habitat is referred to as a mature forest habitat. During this stage, trees thathave been overtopped by competing, faster-growing, or longer-lived trees tend to die and form “snags”4-5
Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 4. Biological Resourcesthat provide food, perches, and opportunities for cavity nesters, such as owls, woodpeckers, raccoons, andeven bats. Retaining downed wood on the forest floor also serves to provide habitat for invertebrates,reptiles, amphibians, etc. There is a greater abundance of mast-producing trees in a mature forest thatoffer acorns, nuts, and soft or fleshy fruits and seeds. Species, such as wild turkey, black bear, andpileated woodpeckers, prefer mature forest habitats (Pennsylvania Envirothon, 2007).Landowners and forest land managers should promote differing stages of succession to offer avariety of habitats for wildlife species. Also, when timbering an area, foresters should stagger and softenthe edges of cuts by leaving some older trees and shrubs on the perimeter, and cutting in a meanderingfashion to avoid abrupt transitions between habitats, which may lead to higher incidents of predation.Grassland HabitatAs mentioned above in the forestry section, reducing the percentage of mowed-grass lawn on one’sproperty will reduce energy use, fuel consumption, and pollution emissions, as well as save the landownermoney on maintenance of the lawn. As with forest habitats and tree plantings, native wildflowers, grasses,forbs, and prairie-type habitats can be used to beautify the property, enhance ecological interactions, andoverall reduce the amount of lawn to be maintained. Native grassland habitats, small or large, mayprovide food, cover, and nesting material for a diversity of wildlife. Many of these native species that willbe attracted to the grassland may offer pest control of insects, weeds, and vermin, free of charge. Not onlydoes this reduce costs associated with controlling these pests, but it also is more environmentally friendlycompared to harsh chemical pesticides and inhumane traps.U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) suggestsplanting drought tolerant warm season grasses suitable to the region, such as big bluestem, little bluestem,buffalo grass, and beardgrass. These adapted grasses will provide shelter and forage for wildlife, helpimprove soils, and will require little maintenance. When maintaining a warm-season grassland, it is veryimportant to schedule hay harvest around the nesting season for ground-nesting birds, generally beforeMay 1 st and after August 15 th , which will allow enough time for grass regrowth to provide coverthroughout the winter months (USDA-NRCS, 2007). Snake mortality in association with mowing isanother concern, especially when relating to species of special concern, such as the eastern massasaugarattlesnake. If possible, mowing should occur in the colder months when snakes and other reptiles andamphibians are overwintering (December through March).WetlandsWetlands are very functional ecological components of a watershed. Some species of plants can onlygrow in wetlands—defined as having anaerobic or hydric soils, wetland vegetation, and evidence of thearea being inundated with water (permanently or seasonally). Though the Connoquenessing watershed isexperiencing rapid development in some areas, which threatens the existence of wetlands and othernatural areas, many of these important landscapes still exist in the watershed, and are worth noting andprotecting. Many feeder streams originate from wetlands inheadwater areas, which aid in groundwater recharge. Wetlandsin riparian areas and on the margins of farmlands are vital infiltering excess nutrients, chemical pollutants, and sedimentfrom water before it enters streams. Wetlands harbor amultitude of plants and animals, making them biodiversity hotspots of the watershed as well.Wetland near Hereford Manor LakesWetland vegetation plays an important role in filteringwater, slowing the flow of water to allow sediments to dropout, and allowing groundwater recharge. Wetland vegetationalso pr4-6
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