How to Better Manage for Birds in Your Forest Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Discussion Points • Why are forest birds declining? • What management techniques most benefit forest birds? • What can you do to help forest birds where you live? • What are the benefits of managing for birds?

Major Threats to Forest Birds •Habitat loss –66% loss of original wooded habitats (in Iowa)

•Habitat fragmentation and loss of connectivity –Increased patchiness and isolation –Increased proportion of edge effects –Increased nest predation and cowbird nest parasitism for birds

•Reduction in habitat quality –Non-native invasive plants replacing desired native species –Grazing & Browsing issues

Habitat Requirements Provided by the Forest

•Food •Cover •Water •Space Each species of animal requires all 4 of these elements in a particular quantity and quality.

Managing for all Stages of Forest Succession Will Increase Wildlife Diversity

IA DNR Goal Multiple-species management! - Designate areas for game species. - Designate areas for non-game species - Manage public Wildlife Management Lands for multiple species, with focus on Species of Greatest Conservation Need.

Past Wildlife Management Typically Focused on Single Species

Single Species Focus Alone No Longer Adequate About one-third of Iowa’s +200 nesting birds are now listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need

85 Bird Species Listed as Greatest Conservation Need • 67 Iowa breeding bird species • 18 migrant bird species

At

least two-thirds of these are Neotropical Migrants

Forest Birds – over half of our

Forest

birds

Black-billed Cuckoo Blue-winged Warbler

Wood Thrush

29 GCN Bird Species Whip-poor Will

Kentucky Warbler

According to National BBS (1966-2009) data, ~42% of all IA birds are significantly declining with 55% of IA grassland birds significantly declining

Cerulean Warbler

Bobolink

Black-billed Cuckoo

Develop a Woodland Management Plan for Your Property • Inventory - what species present now? – Easiest to manage for birds already present

• Consider local landscape components “the big picture” – % of forest landcover in area and forest patch sizes within landscape and connectivity

• Size of forest blocks and forest composition? • Management preference – hands-on or hands-off? • Oak/Hickory regeneration possibilities?

Other Aspects to Consider for Longterm Forest Management • Effects of Climate Change • Potential increase in Tree Diseases (like Bur oak blight or Oak tatters) • Increase of Invasive Species (like Emerald Ash Borer, Asian long-horned beetle & Gypsy Moth)

Example: Potential Objectives for Forest Management • • • •

Promote a healthy vigorous forest Promote overall forest diversity (plant & wildlife) Manage for larger forest size when possible Regenerate oak and other mast producing species when appropriate using a variety of management tools. • Develop and maintain identified areas for species with particular habitat needs (e.g. - early successional growth for ruffed grouse, woodcock, cuckoos, etc & older growth for canopy dependent species). • Protect fragile and unique areas. (native prairies, archeological sites, trout stream, threatened species, etc.)

FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS • Early Successional Management • Even Age Management • Uneven Age Management • Viewshed – or more hands-off approach

Tree Planting = early successional habitat

Early Successional Habitat – Maintained by Disturbance about once every 5-15 years

Direct Seeding creates early successional habitat

Suite of Early Successional declining Birds

Even Age Management

Clearcut usually results in stand made up of one age class (Shelterwood = 2) .

~125 Year Rotation

Uneven Age Management

Usually involves single tree or group tree selection & results in stand made up of three or more age classes. Typically - more species diversity than even-age mgt.

Uneven Age Management - Without TSI and/or fire in NE IA, can lead to a forest dominated by Hard Maple & Basswood

TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT Target Tree Release

Thinning out less desirable species to favor mast producing species This management can favor specialists like Hooded Warbler

VIEWSHED Areas to be left largely unmanaged

- Riparian woods - Steep slopes - Wildlife species composition will change as succession occurs

Viewshed Areas Often Contain Older Trees and Supply Habitat for Nesting Herons and Bald Eagles

Keys to Improving Forest Habitat • Avoid further fragmentation or destruction of remaining forest habitat • Manage for forest quality, structure, and health -Minimize cattle grazers and control deer browsers -Manage to reduce invasive species

Manage for large, non-linear blocks of habitat -Enlarge existing forest tracts by selective reforestation -Manage for soft edges to forest tracts

Manage to improve riparian forest habitat

-Maintain forest corridor 600-2000 yds wide on large rivers like the Mississippi -Maintain forest corridor 200 yds wide on medium rivers -Increase diversity of bottomland forest tree species

Well Managed Forests Usually Have High Wildlife Diversity • Forests with streams or pools best • Many area sensitive and canopy-dependent birds • Excellent acorn (mast) production • Many cavity nesters • Homes for salamanders, frogs, and mammals Also Provide: •Erosion Control •Water Quality •Scenic Beauty

Closed Canopy Forest

Open Canopy Forest

Which wildlife species you wish to support can determine which forest stage you manage for

Open Canopy Oak Forest (Open Woodland)

Allows light to penetrate forest floor for herbaceous growth to occur

Good habitat for many ground nesting forest birds with access to forbs and insects

Maintain Habitat Quality Invasive Species • Garlic Mustard • Common Buckthorn • Multiflora Rose • Tartarian Honeysuckle

Rare species • Jeweled Shooting Star • Prostrate Juniper • Purple Fringed Orchid • Northern Wild Monkshood

Encourage Native Plants • Native plants and animals evolved together over thousands of years • Manage for native flowering plants, sedges, grasses, ferns, shrubs, and trees • Important to think long term in how we manage the land and its wildlife

Native Wildlife Food Plants Elderberry

Oak Hickory

Anita Gould Photo

Dan Mullen Photo

Hawthorne

Blackberry

Wild Grape

Limit Cattle Access to Woods - Grazing Forests Reduces Habitat Quality

Control Deer Numbers – too many deer eliminate ground cover and halt tree and shrub regeneration

Forest Habitat Fragmentation

•

Is the breaking up of large habitat areas into smaller pieces creating more edge area

• The number of interior or core acres is vital •long, narrow tracts/irregularly shaped forests, creates too much “edge”

• Square or round parcels are best

Avoid Forest Fragmentation Caused by clearing sites for agricultural fields, roads, utility line corridors, houses and other buildings

Forest Fragmentation Leads to: •

Increased nest predation (by raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, cats, etc.)

Keep Cats Indoors

• Cats - Highest human-related mortality for birds • Recent research found cats in U.S. kill over 3 Billion birds/year

Forest Fragmentation & Predators

160 Acre Patch 2 miles of edge

4 – 40 Acre Patches 4 miles of edge

Hard Edge Effects Lead to: Brown-headed Cowbird Nest Parasitism •Cowbirds lay 40-80 eggs in host nests each year •Parasitize nests near edges •Most abundant in treed pastures

Brown-headed Cowbird

Feathered or Soft Edge - can reduce nest predation & nest parasitism

Shrubs Annuals Just Disked

Feathered Edge Produces Many More Birds Than Will a Hard Edge

Vertical Structure Important • Different species use different layers • Many shrub nesters • Ground cover important for many wildlife species – shrubland birds – small mammals – reptiles & amphibians

Monocultures Support Little Wildlife Diversity

Snags Have Value for Red-headed Woodpecker

• • • • •

Woodpeckers Secondary Cavity Nesters Mammals Hibernating Animals Insects and Fungi

Value of Downed Logs • Salamanders, snakes, frogs and insects find refuge beneath logs • Shrews & mice use logs for travel • Ruffed grouse use larger logs as drumming sites

Ring-necked snake

Central Newt

Riparian Forest with Good Structural Diversity Supports a Wide Variety of Wildlife Species

Riparian Forests Should Provide • High plant and food (Insects, berries, and acorns) diversity • Natural travel and migration corridors • Sources of standing water – amphibian breeding areas

• Abundant dead trees • High wildlife diversity Prothonotary Warbler

Species of Riparian Forest

Red Shouldered Hawk

Bald Eagle Green Frog

Wood Turtle

Monkeyface Mussel

River Otter

Forest Connectivity Important for Birds

Manage for larger landscapes and manage across property boundaries

Reforestation Strategy to enlarge fragmented forest for area sensitive birds

Yellow area is upland and green area is bottomland - both areas were cleared for agriculture and can be replanted to trees. Diagram from Herkert et al. (1993)

Importance of Forest Size For each species: Create areas large enough to support successful breeding and rearing of young Wood Thrush adults need as much as 61 forested acres to raise a family and are less likely to nest successfully in an area smaller than this.

A minimum of 250 acres of forested land may be necessary to successfully support many areasensitive bird species.

Highly Area Sensitive Species Cerulean Warbler

prefers forested landscapes 1,000 acres or larger

 --

Large Mature Forest

Other Species Needing Large Mature Forest

Worm-eating Warbler Black&White Warbler

Kentucky Warbler

Acadian Flycatcher

Wood Thrush

Veery

Oak Savanna Species Swainson’s Hawk

Cope’s Gray Treefrog

Barn Owl

Red-headed Woodpecker

Eastern Spotted Skunk

Some species benefit from human interference. The American Robin was once rather scarce, but is now abundant. This “generalist” species likes habitats with clearings and “second growth” trees and enjoys our towns and acreages.

Financial Benefits of Good Bird Management

•Communities across the nation reap millions of dollars from birdwatchers each year •Over $318 million was spent in 2008 in Iowa just on Watching Wildlife (USF&WS 2008) & 1/3 of Iowans participate •Each year in the U.S., the public spends over $55 Billion on watching wildlife

Agricultural Benefits of Birds Numerous beneficial nesting bird species have declining populations (and there are a lot of Neotropical migrants in this category) Declining bird species regularly eat …

Number (and percent) of declining Iowa nesters that consume pests

Pest insects

86 (59%)

Pest weeds

41 (28%)

Other Forest Wildlife Benefit from Bird Mgt.

Benny Mazur Photo

Fox Squirrel

Northern Myotis

Jack Shaffer Photo

Southern Flying Squirrel Timber Rattlesnake

Spring Peeper

Recap: Plan for the Future and Consider Your Landscape • How Can You Improve the Habitat You Have? • What’s the Limiting Factor? – Lack of Food, Cover, Water, Space? – forest Openings? – Nest Cavities? Eastern Bluebird - cavity nester

What Can We Do: In Our Own Backyards? • Plan cooperatively with adjacent landowners to create larger blocks of well-managed habitat • Protect rivers and streams with riparian buffers • Keep livestock out of forests, rivers and streams • Avoid creating a lot of disturbance during nesting season (late April-early August) • If trees will be harvested, seek advice from professional forester who understands landowner’s needs and the needs of birds

Managing Forests for the Future • Stewardship involves managing forests so that populations of native wildlife species persist for future generations • Creating long-term Forest Management Plans for woodland properties can help achieve this stewardship goal • Strive for management options that provide the most benefits for the longest period of time • When possible, manage your forest for habitat types, habitat features, and wildlife species that are scarce

Help for Landowners •Private organizations: •Iowa Chapters of National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, The Nature Conservancy

•Government programs: NRCS •Conservation Reserve Program, Wetland Reserve Program, WHIP, Landowner Incentive Program •DNR private lands biologists and foresters; Forest Reserve Program •University Extension; county offices

Resources for Land Managers

Habitat Summary * By managing for the declining priority bird species, we should also be able to “keep common species common” * In general, the larger the blocks of habitat, the more bird species will be provided for into the future * By managing for birds, a host of other wildlife species will benefit, as well

Our best chance to reverse declining trends for Birds is dependent on Partnerships. Private landowners, along with conservation agencies and conservation organizations must cooperate if we truly want the return of healthy wildlife populations.

Photo Credits Carl Kurtz

Roger Hill

Ty Smedes

Jim Bagma

Ed Siems

Dick Stilwell

Jim Messina

K. T. Karlson

Jim Durbin Bill Witt Bob Hurt Gary Hamer Jeff LeClere Joe McGovern

Betty Cottrille Doug Harr Bruce Ehresman Jon Stravers Lowell Washburn

Iowa DNR Bird Conservation Area Program An initiative directed especially toward declining bird populations of Area Sensitive Species – but also directed at keeping “common species common.” Wood Thrush

Bird Conservation Area Model • >10,000 acre landscape • >2,000 acre core –permanently protected mostly grassland • >35% of area grassland > 40 acre grassland ‘blocks’ remainder grass (Pasture, CRP, easements, prairie remnants, idle) • Minimal Tree/Shrub Cover

Permanent Grassland

CRP

Pasture

•Based on WI DNR & Midwest Partners-In-Flight Working Group Large-Scale Landscape Recommendations

Effigy MoundsYellow River Forest BCA Allamakee/Clayton Counties

44% Forest 134,898 Acres Total +25,000 Acres Protected