Habitat Management

Habitat Management Decision Tree (for managing bird habitats)

Who Should Use this Decision Tree?
In general, this decision tree is for properties at least 5 acres in size and in mostly rural, natural settings. In some special cases it could apply to smaller properties, for example, where a 3-acre patch within a large forest might be managed for early-successional forest habitat. This decision tree does not apply to suburban or urban areas.

Introduction
The suitability of a specific property for breeding birds is determined by both the habitat conditions of both the property itself as well as the landscape surrounding the property. Bird species and groups of bird species have particular habitat requirements and in some cases are area-sensitive.  Area sensitivity indicates that the surrounding landscape matters and habitat neesd to meet very specific needs for birds to consider it.  An example of thsi would be the needfor the large patches of habitat for a bird to reproduce successfully.

There is extensive research available showing how different birds use different types of habitat at different times in their life cycles.  However, it's far too much information for most landowners and managers to consider when deciding how to manage their property. That research and the emerging patterns it demonstrates have been synthesized to create this Management Decision Tree to help landowners who want to help birds.

This Management Decision Tree is meant to provide general guidance to landowners and land managers interested in managing a property for birds of conservation concern.  It recognizes that the decisions made by individual landowners may impact the habitat quality of their neighbors’ properties for better or for worse, and vice versa.  This Management Decision Tree is meant to improve a landscape's value for bird conservation and will steer management away from maintaining small, isolated grasslands in largely forested landscapes because they do not benefit grassland birds and contribute to fragmenting forests.  This Management Decision Tree will promote creating and maintaining grasslands in largely open landscapes.  It also will help maintain a desired range of early-successional forest habitats within a forested landscape, which are beneficial to forest-breeding birds and also the migrating birds of spring and fall.

This Management Decision Tree directs land managers to reasonable management options.  For example, it won't receommend converting a currently forested property within an open landscape to grassland to create grassland habitat.  However, before making a final management decision, the recommendations presented here should be evaluated along with other considerations such as landowner objectives and comfort level, aesthetics, soils, slopes, hydrology, the presence of invasive species or pests and state or federally listed species.  We do suggest that land owners and managers consult with their state wildlife agency or Natural Heritage Program to determine whether there are any unique considerations regarding special management of their property, such as the presence of state-listed species or rare ecosystem types. If, for example, a high-priority mature forest species like Cerulean Warbler is using one’s property, it should be managed for Cerulean Warbler even if the decision tree suggests that early-successional forest habitat should be considered as a management objective.

How to use a Management Decision Tree
A decision “tree” consists of a series of questions, the answers to which lead one from a starting point to a solution (in this case, a recommendation).  The questions generally have only two or three possible answers, and so they are like “branches” of a tree leading away from the trunk.  At each question, the user determines which branch to follow until the final recommendation is reached.  Start with Step 1 below and follow the answers to the questions through to the end for suggestions on how you might consider managing your property to help birds of conservation concern.

Step 1: Determine what type of “landscape” surrounds your property.
Landscape is defined as a 2,500-acre block (approximately 1,000ha, 4mi2, 10km2; or a block measuring 2mi x 2mi, 3.2km x 3.2km, or 3200m x 3200m) centered on and surrounding the property to be managed. 

Property is defined as the area to be managed as one unit. It may not include all of the land you own in the area, even if those lands are adjacent to each other. If the property you want to manage is composed of two types of habitat, treat them separately when using this decision tree.

  • For example, if you are interested in managing 100 total acres but 70 acres are forested while 30 are old field. Consider those as two separate units and work through the decision tree for each one separately.

    If the property is 2,500 acres or more, then your property is also the landscape.  Use Google Earth, Google Maps, MapQuest, or a topographic map to determine what proportion of the landscape is in forest. 

  • Urban, industrial, agricultural, and other such areas are considered non-forest.

  • Suburban areas generally are considered non-forest, unless the houses are scattered widely in a forested area, in which case they are considered as forest.

    After assessing your property using the tools and recommendations above, make the determinations below:

  • Is the landscape <50% forested? If so, that is considered Primarily Open.

  • Is the landscape between 50% and 70% forested? If so, that is considered Mixed.

  • Is the landscape >70% forested? If so, that is, Primarily Forested.

    Use the images below to help you place the landscape into one of those categories.

    Click here to see an example of how to answer the above questions regarding your landscape.

      

Density Sampling for 50% Forested

Density Sampling for 70% Forested

Step 2: Based on the landscape you determined in step one above, select your landscape:

Primarily Open
Mixed
Primarily Forested

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