Woodlands and Forests


Kim Connors
A "woodland" is defined as a plant community with sparse tree canopy (10 percent to 60 percent cover) and usually an herbaceous layer or shrub layer, or both. Tree establishment or growth is usually suppressed by soil conditions or by disturbances such as climate or agriculture. A "forest" is a community of plants that is dominated by tall trees and has at least 60 percent canopy cover. Woodlands and forests usually begin as an open area dominated by herbaceous plants such as grasses and wildflowers. Over time and left untouched, these open areas give way to the growth of trees in a process known as succession.

Woodlands cover about one-third of the continental United States, 30 percent less area than from before European settlement. Most of the losses have been in the East. Woodlands are at risk mainly from unsustainable logging practices, plantation forestry, overgrazing by deer or livestock, exotic tree diseases, invasive species, fragmentation, urbanization, and fire suppression.

Why are woodlands important to birds and the environment?

In the continental United States, 232 species of birds depend on woodlands or forests? for at least part of their life cycle. Woodlands and forests offer opportunities for birds to find food, shelter, and nesting sites. Some species, such as the Chestnut-sided Warbler, prefer early successional fields; others, like the Swainson's Thrush, thrive in a dense, mature forest. According to the USGS Breeding Bird Survey data, from 1966 to 2003, 76 of 164 woodland species are declining due to the loss and fragmentation of forests.

Woodlands and forests also provide a rich habitat for innumerable insects and wildlife. As well, the extensive root systems prevent soil erosion. Woodland and forest plants are essential, too, for the transformation of carbon dioxide into oxygen and the addition of nutrients to the soil.

Getting Started: What You Can Do

  • Develop a 10-year management plan. Focus on managing small woodlands for overall health and for the benefit of birds of concern in your area. Remove undesirable trees, such as invasive non-native species, and replace them with appropriate native species. Provide food, shelter, and nesting opportunities for species with the greatest conservation needs.
  • If woodlands are part of active working lands, use selective harvesting techniques to sustain commercial timber products for an economic return. Such techniques, known as timber stand improvement (TSI), include the pruning of low-growing or dead limbs and the thinning of trees to reduce overcrowding and to maximize growth potential.
  • Employ basic woodland management techniques, such as determining your boundary lines (aerial photos are helpful) and topography (slopes, ridges, waterflow); identifying the vegetation and soil types; and inventorying the existing wildlife (including birds, mammals, and amphibians).
  • Contact agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), local conservation districts, the local Farm Service Agency (FSA), and university cooperative extensions for assistance in creating and implementing a management plan.

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