Grassy Open Areas To Dense Forest example essay topic

Three management strategies that should be implemented for whitetail deer in northern Wisconsin include deer yards, forage areas, and hiding cover (Gullion 1984). The home range for whitetails is less than 1 mi 2 (2.49 km 2) if there is ample food. Food requirements of white-tailed deer in Wisconsin vary throughout the state. Deer within this management unit need a water source, grassy openings for grazing, and high nutritional foods for browsing. Whitetails need 10-12 lbs (4.5-5.4 kg) of food a day, but their diet changes according to the seasons (Rogers 1981). In general, whitetails tend to forage on herbaceous vegetation in the warm months and on woody vegetation during winter.

First choice foods are northern white cedar, red maple, hemlock, American mountain ash, sweet fern, alternate leaf dogwood, red-osier dogwood, American yew, stag horn sumac, and wintergreen (Rogers 1981). These foods are the most for deer in this region. Other food choices decrease in nutritional value. Within agricultural areas, corn, soybeans, alfalfa, clover, and trefoil make up a portion of the whitetail's diet and grain residues are used heavily after crops have been harvested in September through April (Rogers 1981). Seeds and fruits such as acorns are also an important part of their diet.

They receive water from the plants they eat so small water sources are suitable. One water source per square mile (1.6 km 2) is preferred. Cover requirements for white-tailed deer include winter cover usually in a coniferous canopy to provide a thermal blanket. Landowners should use forested areas that produce browse or a mast food source allowing the population to remain stable during all seasons (Kubisiak 1998).

This is also a good place for deer yards when temperatures drop very low and snow accumulation is high (Kubisiak 1998). Fawning cover provides protection of the young and can range from grassy open areas to dense forest stands. Deer are very adaptable and do well on the edges of habitats in this region. They are capable of being successful as a species in many different habitats. A requirement that is not lacking within the management unit is forest openings, which should be about 5 ac (2.02 ha) in size (Gullion 1984).

There are tracts of contiguous forest areas within the unit as well as large open agricultural areas. Forest openings can provide grassy areas for grazing that offer protection and cover in nearby stands and herbaceous vegetation for food. Cottontail rabbits are edge species with high vertical and horizontal diversity. Their home ranges differ between males and females. Males need 6-8 ac (2.42-3.23 ha) and females need 2-3 ac (0.80-1.21 ha) (Wise 1986). Cottontail's needs a wide variety of plant cover made up of grasses, forms, and shrubs in all ages of timber stands.

Thick, impenetrable cover that provides cavities and tunnels for travel corridors is a great escape from predation and provides shelter from weather (Wise 1986). Hayfields and cornfields can support an abundant population of cottontails and be a source of food (Wise 1986). Bare ground is also a necessity for sunning, drying, and dusting sites after the rain or dew. In summer the cottontail's diet is made up of herbaceous grasses. Cottontails prefer young growth, which has a high nutritional value. Some main food sources include white clover, crab grasses, ragweed and (DeCalesta 1971).

Cottontails also chew on the buds, sprouts and shoots of woody plants. Crops that serve as food sources include corn, wheat, soybeans, and legumes (Wise 1986). Cottontails also chew on the tender parts of many trees including apple, blackberry, birch, maple, willow, basswood, and sumac (DeCalesta 1971). Songbirds make up a large category that we are breaking down into forested and grassland birds. Early-successional communities provide food, cover, and nest sites for a variety of songbirds in forested areas. Songbirds depend on a dense shrub-sapling cover but use a variety of shrub land or young forest habitats (Sample and Mossman 1997).

These include glades, barrens, or savannas, old fields, and young forests resulting from silvicultural treatments (Thompson and Dessecker 1997). During the early stages of forest regeneration, 1 to 3 years after canopy removal, dense clumps of herbaceous vegetation and grasses are used for nesting grounds and foraging (Thompson and Dessecker 1997). A mix of grasses, forms, shrubs, and tree reproduction supports a very abundant bird community. Snags, woody debris and some large trees are great for nesting, cover, feeding and protection.

Woody debris provides a great litter layer for the birds to dig through for invertebrates. Residual live trees provide structure for open canopy species (Thompson and Dessecker 1997). Habitat patch size is also a consideration. Some birds prefer smaller patch sizes and other require large patch sizes ranging from 3-5 ac (1.21-2.02 ha) (Thompson and Dessecker 1997).

There are many different types of grassland habitat communities that are put into 3 basic categories including short grass, mid grass, and tall grass (Sample and Mossman 1997). Birds that have similar habitat requirements and that are fulfilled in the same habitat type are considered bird communities because these birds tend to be seen together (Sample and Mossman 1997). Our focus is mainly on mid grass bird species such as savannah sparrow, eastern meadowlark, bobolink, red-winged blackbird and. These species prefer mesic habitats with medium vegetation height such as grasses and forms, hayfields and lightly grazed pastures (Sample and Mossman 1997). Requirements include suitable habitat structure, sufficient food sources, and adequate patch size and surrounding land use. Scattered trees, saplings, shrubs and strong forms work well for perches.

Herbaceous vegetation should be 3.94-13.77 in (10-35 cm) for height-density (Sample and Mossman 1997). Dense litter layers are preferred for feeding purposes. Most grassland birds feed on invertebrates in the litter layer. Short grass areas are preferred for brood-rearing and foraging.