Burke County 4 HWildlife Presentation

Southeastern Mixed & Outer Coastal Plain ForestState Competition – November 10th 2012

(Saturday) at Rock EagleBarb Hammond

Heather Brennan

Succession: What is It?

* The stages of plant cover over time from bare ground to climax stage (mature woodland or trees)

1. Bare Ground 2. Annual forbs and/or grasses 3. Perennial forbs and grasses 4. Shrubs 5. Young woodland or trees (less than 70 years old) 6. Mature woodland or trees

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

So What Is A forb?

A herbaceous plant (other than grasses) – not woody stemmed. May be vines, clovers or any other soft stemmed plant. Hint: wilts easily.

Is this a forb? If not, what is it?

Corridor: continuous habitat that permits animals to travel securely from one habitat to another.

How can a corridor be broken up?

Can be quite large – jaguar corridor mapping through several South American countries

Can a corridor be too small?

Corridors less than 100 meters wide may form a trap for prey animals. Predators can kill the adults, young or nested animals.

Eastern bluebird (seniors & juniors)

Habitat: Stages 2 & 3 interspersed with Stages 5 & 6 vegetationFood: Insects & spiders, limited amount of fruit – forage in open areas

Cover: Leave 3-4 dead or nearly dead large trees per acre for nesting sites (woodpecker holes/natural cavities), Place nest boxes 4-5 feet high in or adjacent to open areas. Place over 200 feet apart.

Water: diet & other sources if available

Special: House Sparrows & European Starlings may take over nest boxes – may need to be controlled

Pesticides should be used in urban areas – for fire ants especially

Management Practices

B F S L N T H(cc)

Clear-cut small areas (40 acres maximum, 10-20 preferred) in large expanses of stage 5 & 6 woodland

In areas of mesquite, root plowing combined with grass/legume seeding to maintain Stage 3 vegetation may be needed

Control burns – small areas of Stage 4 & 5/ Plant trees if needed in Stage 2 & 3

Eastern cottontail (seniors & juniors)Habitat: Stages 3 & 4 (ideal – 1/3 grassland,

1/3 cropland & 1/3 shrub cover interspersed together). Can be found in parks, golf courses & stream corridors in urban areas

Special: Overpopulation – may cause damage to garden/ornamental plants & may require wildlife damage management

Food: Forbs & grasses in spring & fall, Bark of shrubs & trees in winter. Plant 1/8 to ¼ acre perennial food crops (grain sorghum good) one plot per 15 acres maximum

Cover: thick shrub or herbaceous vegetation for hiding & resting. Stages 2 & 3 – plant shrubs, Provide brush piles where needed. Clear-cut small areas (10 acres maximum) in Stages 5 & 6 woodlands. Livestock grazing should avoid food plots & herbaceous plant cover & food

Water: obtained from diet

Wildlife Management

B Bp F Db S Ib LP G T H(cc) W

Eastern gray squirrel (seniors & juniors)

Habitat: Deciduous woodland, Stages 5 & 6 Food: Forage on the ground mostly – nuts, grains, acorns, seeds, mushrooms, & buds.

Cover: Nest in cavities in trees or build nests of twigs & leaves. Need 3-4 den trees or nest boxes per acre. Nest is usually in the crotch of a tree over 30 feet above ground. They will use nest boxes if den sites are scarce (Stage 5). Leave hardwoods, plant trees & shrubs in open areas.

Water: from diet

Special: Wildlife Damage Management for property damage. They chew insulation and electric wiring in the house - Trapping is needed.

Wildlife Management

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What are mast trees?

Trees that produce fruits (soft mast) or nuts (hard mast) that fall on the ground becoming food (mast) for animals.

Can you name some soft mast trees?

Pears, peaches, apples, plums etc.

Can you name some hard mast trees?

Nuts – acorns (oaks) chestnut, beech, etc.

mourning dove (seniors & juniors)

Habitat: Stages 2 & 3 , agricultural areas for feeding, small areas of bare ground

Food: Waste grain from cropland and livestock feedlots (wheat, barley, millet, milo, oats, sunflowers), variety of grass and forb seeds. Squabs ?are fed “pigeon milk” for 1st 4 days then seeds are added also.Clear & develop areas of about 40 acres (10-20 acres preferred)Water: Must have water daily from shorelines or banks without vegetationCover: Tall shrubs & trees for nesting and loafing (?). Nests made of twigs placed on branches of trees or shrubs; sometimes on ground

mourning dove calls

Management: B F Db Dsk S Gr Ib L N

P T Pc Pt Ps Pl Ti Hcc

What vertical layering do you think a mourning dove would prefer?

OOOOPS what’s vertical layering? Ideas?

AKA – vertical structureVegetation – classified by how it grows

* grasses & forbs – ground cover

* shrub layer* tree canopy (highest

layer)

If you have an area that is primarily succession stages 2 & 3, what should you do to enhance the area for mourning dove?

Since mourning doves construct flimsy nests, what can we do to provide secure nesting sites?

Northern bobwhite (juniors & seniors)

General Habitat: Stages 2, 3, & 4 of plant succession interspersed. 1/4th grassland, ½ cropland, 1/8th shrub cover, & 1/8th woodland.Food: Young bobwhite – insects; Adults – seeds, vegetation (mostly forbs), insects, & small grains.

Cover: Thick shrubs – hiding & roosting

Water: Don’t require standing water, but in arid (dry) regions water development is beneficial (good) i.e. ponds, windmills, springs.

Review: What is an edge?

Northern bobwhite habitat

Edge: boundary where two or more types of vegetation or successional stages meet.

So what is contrast?

Contrast describes how fast the edge changes. High contrast would be where successional stage 2 meets an area in stage 6. Low contrast would be a boundary between stages 2 & 3. Which do you think (low or high) would be habitat for the most different species of animal & why? Area Sensitive Species: wildlife species that require large unbroken areas in a certain successional stage to provide all their needs.

Northern bobwhite Wildlife Management Practices

B Bp F Db Dsk S Gr Ib L P G T Ti H(cc) H(sc)

Practice: Mrs. Gregg has 100 acres of land behind her house – 40 acres of hay fields, 40 acres of timberland (stage 5 interspersed with stage 6), 10 acres of grass pasture for her 2 horses, and 10 acres of winter oats. The desired species are:

Northern bobwhiteEastern gray squirrel

Notes:1.Eastern gray squirrel are not very abundant.2.The timberland consists of all pine trees.3.Turkeys have been spotted in the oat field.4.Northern bobwhite have been seen in the hedgerow of the next farm.

Suggestions: fill out management table, draw a map, draw 2 circles and see what management practices refer to both species and what are different (we will do this together)

squirrel bobwhite

Same MP Brush

chop/mowBrush piles

Fire

CorridorsDecrease bag

Disking

Wildlife Survey

Grain Leave UnharvestedLivestock Grazing Man.

Nesting boxes

Plant Food Plots

Plant grass/forbs

Plant mast trees

Plant trees or shrubs

Tillage (eliminate in fall) Timber harvest (clear

cut)Timber harvest (selective)

Area Sensitive Species

Which of these species would qualify as an area sensitive species? Why?

Edge is not good for all wildlife. Some species need large, unbroken areas of a certain successional stage to provide some or all of their habitat needs. These species are referred to as Area Sensitive Species.

Food – Water – Shelter - Space

white-tailed deer (juniors & seniors)

General Habitat Preference: Stages 3, 4, & 5 all interspersed (mixed) together. Can be a nuisance when their habitat & home range overlaps with areas occupied by people.

Home Range: area of constant use; the animal lives in the same area all year. Food: variety of shrubs, forbs, grasses, & waste grains. Acorns & mast are favorite foods. In their northern range conifer (pine) trees are used during the winter.

Cover: need woodlands & tall shrubs for hiding and travel cover. Use tall, emergent aquatic vegetation in riparian areas and brushy upland drainages for cover.

Water: Most is gotten from their food, but will use “free” water when available.

Management Practices:

B F C Db S Gr Ib L P G M T Ti H(cc) H(sc) W

Carrying Capacity

Carrying Capacity refers to the number of animals that can live in a habitat.

Activity: Survivor MillenYou are a herd of deer and you live in a conservation area near Millen. The area is off limits for hunting and you have plenty of water. You compete for food with the other deer.1.Choose your herd2.Assemble in the hallway.3.When I say go, run down and collect one bean. If I call time, you cannot get a bean just turn around and go back to return your bean then go to the starting point. Stop.4. When I say go, the next person runs down and collects another bean. When all beans are gone, count them and we will see which herd survived.

largemouth bass & bluegill (juniors & seniors)

General Habitat: ponds, lakes, & slow moving rivers.

22 lbs. 5 oz. June 2, 1932World record fish

Food: Young bass eat insects & other invertebrates (worms, crayfish, & zooplankton). These invertebrates depend on phytoplankton for food. Adult bass eat small fish like bluegill, minnows, tadpoles, crayfish, & even ducklings.Bluegill eat zooplankton, insects, tadpoles, small minnows, & crayfish.Population Control: You should maintain a bass to bluegill ratio of 3 to 6 lbs. of bluegill to 1 lb. of bass.

Current world record 4 lbs 12 oz Picture is not the world record fish

Phytoplankton – most are green & photosynthesize

Zooplankton – eat phytoplankton or other zooplankton

Management Practices

Db Fp S Ib L Par Pm Pc Pdd

Pde Prt Prs Pfs Prs Pl Wc

• Add fertilizer to pond to promote phytoplankton growth (pond should be a green color)• Harvest bluegill or bass to maintain proper ratio• Prevent or clear up muddy water (slows phytoplankton growth)• Do not let livestock graze near the pond’s edge – leave a vegetative ring around it to filter runoff water. Put livestock water away from pond or limit to a small section of pond.• Create cover (artificial reefs) for smaller fish out of rocks, brush, pipe (6” (diameter) X 18” (long), tires (sunk with weight) – use in ponds over 10 acres.• Adjust pH of water to between 6.5 – 9.0 (lime if necessary), put aerator in if Oxygen is below 4 parts per million (ppm).

Next Section is Seniors.

great horned owl (seniors)

Habitat: Primarily Stages 5 & 6 interspersed with 2, 3, & 4. Orchards, woodlots, & city parks also, occasionally rocky canyons away from forest coverFood: Varied – almost anything in its prey range (size), Prefers – small to medium sized mammals & birds. Also, reptiles, amphibians, large insects, & fish. Rarely – carrion (dead animals)Water: from diet

Cover: Abandoned nests of hawks or crows, large tree cavities, crotches, stumps, caves, & ledges

Special: Wildlife Damage Management for predation of domestic poultry

Owl Predation - Domestic Chicken

Wildlife Management

Roosting poles or platforms where no large trees, caves, or ledges exist.Plant forbs &/or grasses for prey.

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Raptor Perch & Platform Installation

Owl Flight

hairy woodpecker(seniors)

Habitat: Stages 4, 5, & 6. Will use stage 3 if mature trees are near.Can be found in urban & riparian areas.Food: ants, beetle larvae, caterpillars, & adult

beetles/ fruits & nuts are supplemental. Forage on tree trunks, stumps, snags, downed logs & the ground. Water: From their diet

Cover: Holes excavated in mature & dying trees & snags for nesting. Need at least 1 snag per acre.

Habitat Management:C S L T

hairy woodpecker Video

hairy woodpecker Sounds

mallard (wintering)(seniors)

Habitat: Wetlands with open water, harvested grain crops, riparian areas with open water

Food: waste grain from agriculture, aquatic plants, invertebrates. Will fly long distances to feed, but likes to find it close to home lake/pond. Dabbling ducks like the depth of water to be under 2 feet.Water: From where they live.

What is a slough?

Cover: Rest on open water (streams, rivers, warm-water sloughs) also ice in the middle of lakes

What is a dabbling duck?

Sloughs are inland water bodies that are situated in depressions, lack emergent trees and shrubs, have less than 30% vegetation cover, and occupy at least 20 acres.

Management: Db S Gr Ib Pc Pt PsPl Rb Fl Ti Wc Wd

Note: Keep human disturbance to a minimum

Would mallards like to live here?

Let’s Identify Animals

American kestrel (seniors)American kestrel (seniors)

Habitat: Stages 2 & 3 for feeding and 4, 5, & 6 for nesting. Large open areas with adequate nesting sites are needed.Food: Insects & small mammals that live in open areas. Water: from their diet.

Cover: Nest in tree cavities, holes in cliffs, canyon walls, artificial nest boxes

So, what are the stages referring to?

Brush chopping (mowing)

Fire (controlled burning)

Survey (wildlife or fish pond)

Livestock grazing management

Nesting boxes/structures/platformsGrass and forbs planting

Trees or shrubs planting

Dead or downed snags/woody materialHarvest timber/ clear-cut

B F S L N G T D Hcc

Management Practices

coyote (seniors)

Habitat: Primarily Stages 2, 3, & 4, but could be found almost anywhere -urban areas, large cities, grasslands, forests & cleared agricultural fields.

Food: poultry, rodents, persimmons, song-birds, cattle, rabbits, deer, woodchuck, goats, sheep, watermelon, & carrion (82% of sheep loss in 16 studies was due to predators, but it was determined that often an individual coyote caused the major problems.) Water: not well documented; probably met by their diet.

Cover: brush covered slopes, steep banks, rock ledges, thickets, hollow logs are used as den areas. Plant shrub areas to encourage them. May live as individuals, mated pairs or packs. Coyotes are active during the day, but primarily during the early morning and around sunset.

Coydog

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brown thrasher (seniors)

Habitat: Stages 3 & 4 successionDense woody plants with shrub thickets, hedgerows, shelterbelts, forest edges, riparian areas, & young forests.

Thicket

Hedgerow

Shelterbelt/Windbreak

Edges?

Why Riparian?

Food: Invertebrates & plant seeds – principal foods. May also eat berries & fruits from shrubs/trees. Water: requirements unknown.

Cover: Needs minimum of 2.5 acres of woody vegetation for a breeding population. Ground litter provides more food than bare ground.

Management:B F C S L T H(cc) H(sc)

So, what is a corridor?

The brown thrasher was originally selected by schoolchildren as the state bird of Georgia in the 1928, and was declared the state bird by Eugene Talmadge in 1935, but was not officially adopted until 1970.