Sample Landowner Habitat Management Plan

Transcription

1 Sample Landowner Habitat Management Plan Why plant native flowers, shrubs and trees? Native plants have evolved under local conditions for millennia and because of that they are genetically programmed to grow here. This makes them easier to grow and maintain than non-native plants. Likewise, birds, insects and other wildlife have also evolved with native plants and depend on native plants for food, nectar, shelter and breeding sites. Suburban development has resulted in the replacement of native plants with alien, ornamental plants, many of which are invasive that escape into wild areas. Unknowingly, Americans have sterilized nearly fifty million acres of land by planting lawns and backyard with non-native plants. This is one reason why the population of our migratory birds and pollinators have declined in recent years. As landowners like you naturalize their land by planting natives, we can gradually reverse the declines in songbirds, pollinators and other wildlife while we improve water quality, reduce stormwater erosion, and add to the beauty and serenity of our surroundings. The following are suggestions that we offer for your consideration. They are meant to be practical, easy to implement, cost-effective, voluntary and rewarding. While our interest is primarily in the acreage under conservation easement, we thought it might be helpful to offer suggestions for the more managed areas of your property as well. Also included are: Maps and photographs of the protected land in your neighborhood Soils and bedrock found on your land The watershed into which your water drains Location map of areas for which we make suggestions List of recommended native plants Pictures of some of the plants we recommend Nearby nurseries that carry native plants Methods to protect plants from deer Bird house plans Beginning with your residence: Gravel driveway: Impervious surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks create stormwater pollution that carries hydrocarbons, salt, nitrogen, phosphorous, silt and other pollutants into our waterways. Pervious surfaces such as this slow down, retain and filter stormwater. Maintain permeable gravel to control stormwater runoff. Lawn: Continue to refrain from using pesticides or herbicides. Raise mower blade height to 3 to allow grass to shade out broadleaf weeds. Reduce the need for fertilizers by leaving lawn clippings in place and by mulching leaves in the fall by mowing them into small pieces and leaving them in place. This also eliminates the need to use leaf blowers-conserving energy, reducing noise pollution, leaving valuable top soil in place and preventing the spread of invasive seeds. If the leaves are raked up they can be stored in mulch piles that will yield compost when the leaves decompose. Aerate grass in high traffic areas to keep grass and soil healthy. 1

2 Garden: Allow native Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, shown here, to spread over bare ground. Virginia creeper s fall berries are food for many birds including Eastern bluebird, cardinal, chickadee, downy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, and turkey. It also has attractive dark purple fall foliage. Allow catnip, Nepeta cataria, and lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, to spread. Both are attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. Fill in bare ground with native wildflowers including coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta, and bee balm, Monarda fistulosa and Monarda didyma-all of which are attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, other pollinators and birds. Cover mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, with deer netting to stop deer from browsing. By covering it with deer netting in the winter it will likely flower the next summer and continue to provide cover for wildlife through the winter. Hemlocks: Hemlocks, Tsuga Canadensis, are suffering from wooly adelgid infestations. If you want to preserve a few specimens, spraying with dormant oil twice a year can protect them. This has to be done by a specialist and is not practical for a large area like the easement parcel. Protect sugar maple sapling, Acer saccharum, growing just beneath the hemlocks. If the tree is protected it will fill the gap in the canopy left by the dying hemlocks. Spray a few hemlocks to preserve and protect them. South-facing slopes: Ferns that could do well on this drier, sunnier slope include interrupted fern, Osmunda claytoniana, Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, and hay-scented fern, Dennstaedtia punctilobula. Plant taller interrupted fern in back. Transplant medium height Christmas ferns to the middle of slope. Plant hay-scented ferns in the sunnier front section of slope. Apply a small amount of Roundup to freshly cut stumps. Borders of ponds: Shrubs and trees planted around a pond can absorb pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorous that would otherwise cause unsightly alga growth. Plants will also slow down and absorb stormwater runoff that would otherwise carry silt and other pollutants into the pond. Tall grass and shrubs planted around ponds also discourage geese by preventing them from seeing potential predators. Paths can be kept mowed to allow people to walk down to the water s edge and paths appear now to be maintained at both the north and south sides of this pond. Forsythia is a non-native shrub with less value to wildlife than native shrubs. It also spreads rapidly, crowding out native shrubs and flowers. If the early flowering of the forsythia is desired, native spicebush, Lindera benzoin, could be used instead. It flowers early in the season at the same time forsythia blooms, providing the first nectar for pollinators when they have few alternatives. It also has a lovely yellow flower like forsythia, and is a host and nectar plant for several butterflies including the spicebush swallowtail butterfly, Papilio troilus. Many birds including robins, catbirds, kingbirds and flycatchers eat the berries. Spicebush does well in moist areas such as this. 2

3 Contain the spread of forsythia by mowing, weed whacking. Plant spice bush for similar flowering color and timing. A variety of other native shrubs can be planted in this area and a list is provided at the end of this report. Buttonbush and willow could actually grow in the water at the edge of the pond. Pepperbush and red osier dogwood will also do well along the edge of the pond. Winterberry could grow in the wet soils above the water line, as could blueberry, alder, nannyberry, arrowwood, cranberry and the already mentioned spicebush. At the higher, drier portion of the pond s border, elderberry, bayberry, gray dogwood, serviceberry, holly and inkberry could be planted. The possible combinations are great, depending on your desire for flower color, timing of flowering, fall foliage, winter color and winter shelter. A list of native shrubs beneficial to wildlife, along with pictures of their flowers, is attached. All these shrubs are extremely beneficial to wildlife. One suggestion would be to plant shrubs that could provide a continual display of color throughout the year. Early spring flowerers serviceberry, willow and spicebush could be followed by summer flowering viburnums nannyberry, arrowwood and/or cranberry and gray dogwoods and hollies. Late summer flowers could be provided by pepperbush, fall foliage by blueberry and chokeberry, winter color by the red stems of red osier and the red berries of winterberry and American holly. Plant buttonbush and/or willows in water next to yellow irises. Plant red osier in wettest areas along shore. Plant pepperbush at edge of pond. Plant winterberry a few feet from water s edge. Plant one of several viburnums (nannyberry, arrowwood, cranberry) a bit further from edge. Plant one of the hollies (American or inkberry) a bit further from edge. Vernal pool areas: Vernal pools (seasonal ponds) are important breeding area for wood frogs and spotted salamanders. Keep area forested as a natural wooded buffer around the vernal pool. Snip bittersweet vines in two places to prevent regrowth along the cut vine. Woods: Like many of the woodlands in southern New York, this oak-hickory stand is suffering from a number of diseases. The hemlocks here are dead and dying due to wooly adelgid infestation. Ashes are dead and dying due to ash wilts now and potentially emerald ash borer in the near future. Elms are dead and dying due to Dutch elm disease. Black birch are dead and dying due to infection by the nectria canker fungus. Sugar maples crowns are thinning due to a combination of rising temperatures and ozone and acid rain pollution. All of these factors are at work on this four acre parcel. The situation in this picture taken near the northern edge of the woods is repeated over and over again across our region. A dying black birch is resting on a dying hemlock. Fortunately a sugar maple sapling is growing beneath it. If the sugar maple can survive higher temperatures and other stresses, it will fill the gap in the canopy created by the death of the birch and hemlock trees. 3

4 In many of the openings created by dying trees, hickories, red oaks and sugar maple saplings are growing up into the canopy. This natural succession will take care of itself without any human intervention. A few areas lack any understory trees to replace the hemlocks, ash, elms and black birch. In these areas Norway spruce seedlings can be planted alongside hemlock and red cedar. The Norway spruce, though not native, is perhaps the only tree that can fill the hemlock s niche. It is both shade tolerant, evergreen and tolerant of wet conditions. The deciduous elms, ashes and black birches can be replaced by white oaks, shagbark hickories and tupelos. All three of these trees are somewhat shade tolerant, grow well in a range of soil conditions, and have ranges that extend into the southern United States, indicating that they will do well if temperatures continue to increase here. Plant Norway spruce alongside hemlocks, spaced 6 feet apart. Norway spruce are deer resistant and only need protection against weeds and vines, accomplished by planting the spruce in the middle of a plastic matt. Plant white oaks, shagbark hickories and tupelos, feet apart, alongside ash, elms and black birch. Protect oaks, hickories and tupelos with plastic tubing. Snip bittersweet vines that are growing up oaks and other trees. Meadows: The benefits of converting lawn to meadow are many. Labor, fuel and material costs are greatly reduced as mowing can be reduced to just once a year instead of weekly. Water use is also diminished, as higher grasses are more drought-resistant because of their deeper roots. The use of dangerous pesticides, herbicides and fungicides can also be reduced because higher grass is more disease and pest resistant. Additionally, fields and meadows provide an important ecosystem service by attracting a diversity of plant and animal life. An increase in the diversity of native wildflowers and grasses triggers an increase in the diversity of fauna, including insects. This includes an increase in keystone butterfly and bee species as well. This in turn leads to an increase in the diversity of birds and other wildlife. The result is an overall rise in biodiversity, creating a more stable ecosystem and a healthier human environment. Mow once per year to maintain the meadow habitat and control encroaching invasive species. Mow towards the beginning and end of the winter season, if conditions permit, to allow wildflowers and grasses to go to seed, maintaining a stable and diverse plant population. Add any of the following wildflowers for butterfly and hummingbird nectar: bergamot, Monarda didyma purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea black eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta meadowsweet, Spirea alba orange milkweed, Asclepias tuberose Joe-Pye weed, Eupatorium purpureum At the west-facing side of your house: Consider adding a few deciduous shade trees that will cool your house by shading it from the western sun. If scientists are correct, our summers will continue to grow much warmer. Deciduous shade trees will cool your home in the summer, while letting warming winter sun shine through when trees lose their leaves. It s possible to reduce summer cooling costs by as much as 50 percent and increase the overall value of 4

5 your property by adding shade trees. Shade trees will also help retain moisture in your lawn, reducing the need to water. Add any of the following trees with ranges that extend to the southern United States, they will be able to grow here in the warmer conditions to come. These trees are selected for their height and the fullness of their crowns: Silver maple Tupelo White oak Shag bark hickory Basswood Elm (the disease resistant varieties now available) Tulip tree 5