Managing Land for Wildlife

The South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) facilitates effective habitat conservation and respect for outdoor traditions for current and future generations through statewide leadership, education, advocacy, and partnerships.

Since its founding by sportsmen in 1931, the SCWF has maintained a diverse membership and sustained its role as the trusted voice in conservation. From hunter to birdwatcher, teacher to backpacker, gardener to farmer, the SCWF has established itself as an umbrella organization representing various interests and is committed to building partnerships that help to ensure that our children and grandchildren enjoy the same natural heritage and opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Contributions from the SCWF membership are an investment in the quality of South Carolina’s future. Clubs are encouraged to affiliate and become a part of the Federation’s grass roots conservation efforts. A nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization governed by an elected board of directors and affiliated with the National Wildlife Federation, the SCWF receives its support directly through its own membership. Funds raised are used to benefit South Carolina.

For more information, please contact:
The South Carolina Wildlife Federation
www.scwf.org
(803) 256-0670

HABITAT GENERAL INFORMATION

Habitat destruction is one of the leading causes of species decline today. All habitats, regardless of size, are essential to the survival of native wildlife. We can all take small steps in our daily lives to make an impact on our local environment. By providing food, water, cover, and places to raise young, you can help to restore and enhance wildlife habitat in your community. Songbirds, butterflies, and game species such as deer, quail, and turkey will make their home on your property, or find refuge there during a migration.

Why Should I Create Habitat?

South Carolina is the ninth-ranked state in terms of total land area developed annually. Developed land in the state has nearly doubled to 1.9 million acres in the last 15 years. Urban and built-up land now represents almost one-fifth of the state, and prime farmland is disappearing steadily. More than 100,000 acres per year were converted to urban uses from 1992 to 1997. The projected development by 2030 puts 57 percent of cultivated land and 100,000 acres of freshwater wetlands and tidal creeks at risk.

Information from: http://www.fairus.org/

GETTING CERTIFIED

By providing food, water, cover, and places to raise young for wildlife, wildlife habitats can be certified by the National Wildlife Federation. Applications are available from the SC Wildlife Federation.  If you are creating habitat on industry property, you can be certified through the Wildlife And Industry Together (WAIT) program. All other properties can use the Backyard Wildlife Habitat application.

FOREST MANAGEMENT

Contact the South Carolina Forestry Commission (803-896-8800) to have a forester look at the woodlands and provide a management plan as to the health and status of the timber. If timber revenue is not a major objective and wildlife is, a thinning and prescribed burning regime in pine stands would benefit several species of wildlife.

Selective harvesting of hardwoods while retaining valuable, mature, mast-producing trees, such as oak, is important for many wildlife species such as squirrels, turkeys, raccoons, deer, quail, and many others. Mast producers are most effective if retained in groups or stands.

It is also important to manage your forest for tree species diversity as well as age class diversity. If you are clear-cutting, harvest smaller areas in irregular shapes, preferably along natural topographic lines. Leave strips of trees connecting mature stands to serve as cover and wildlife travel corridors where areas have been, or will be, clear-cut within a few years of one another.

WILDLIFE MEADOWS

One habitat type that is in rapid decline in today’s landscape is the meadow - a diverse mixture of native grasses, wildflowers, and other non-woody plants, which are allowed to complete their annual cycle of growth , flowering, and seed production. Woody plants, such as trees or shrubs are either absent, or occur only in scattered locations.

The flowering plants that occur in meadows attract numerous species of butterflies, while the seed of these flowers and grasses are an important source of food for songbirds. In addition, the dense leafy cover of the meadow is an important nesting area for ground-nesting birds. In general, any open area (from ¼ acre to many acres) can be developed into a meadow. Maintaining a meadow can reduce overall landscape maintenance costs through reduced mowing.

Develop a Meadow on Your Property
1) Stop mowing the area during the growing, flowering, seeding season (for most species this is April through October). This allows grasses and wildflowers to fully develop and to dominate the area.
2) Mow the area at least once every three years (or as frequently as once every year) during the winter season. This will prevent trees from taking the area and changing it into a young forest stand.
3) Place bluebird boxes on posts within, or on the edge, of the meadow. The birds will nest in these open area habitats, and feed on insects living in the meadow.
4) Place one or more “hawk perches” in the meadow for the red-tailed hawks, kestrels (sparrow hawks), and other birds to use while they seek their prey in the meadow.
5) If desired, consider purchase of showy, native wildflowers for planting in the meadow to enhance aesthetics, and wildlife usage

Plant Species in Meadow Habitats
The species of grasses and wildflowers that will inhabit your new meadow will depend on what is already growing on the site, and what is growing in adjacent areas. Listed below are some species that might be expected. Because some species may take more than one year to initially bloom or otherwise be noticed, this list might be more typical of a meadow in its third year or more.

EDGES AND FILTER STRIPS

Establishing a border between forested land and fields or meadows provides "edge effect" which is very beneficial to many different species of wildlife. An “edge” is where two different habitat types meet and usually contain more species of wildlife than either one of the adjacent habitats. A 25-50 foot border left unplanted will provide nesting and brood rearing cover, and food sources in the form of native weed seeds and insects. Once these strips have been established (after 2 years), 1/2 of these borders should be lightly disced between November and
March, in order to set plant succession back and renew the habitat. Discing can then be repeated every 2-3 years at the same time of year.

Similar to edges, filter strips are bands of vegetation adjacent to ditches or other water bodies that serve to trap sediments, chemicals and nutrients. Filter strips can be as narrow as 12 feet in width, but 25-50 feet is better. Maintenance by shallow discing on a 2-3 year cycle is necessary to sustain the proper succession vegetation. Ditches with filter strips on both sides should be maintained by discing only one side in a given year.

HABITAT MANAGEMENT FOR RABBITS

Brushpiles – Rabbits respond well to man-made brushpiles in suitable habitat. Brushpiles should be at least 15 feet in diameter and about 5 feet high with openings at ground level. Rabbits eat their way in by clipping small twigs to open up. It is a good practice to pile brush over large rocks, logs, culverts or old farm machinery to serve as the foundation. Allow grass and weeds to grow around the brushpile and place it near the edge of forest openings. Brushpiles are critical because they provide an area to raise young and escape from predators.

Food Plots - Rabbits will benefit, especially in the winter, from 1/8 - 1/4-acre food patches planted beside adequate escape cover. There should be at least one food patch for every 2-5 acres under rabbit management. White and crimson clover provides a good food source during the spring, and any green succulent vegetation such as alfalfa, wheat, barley, rye and ryegrass will provide a winter supplemental food source.

HABITAT MANAGEMENT FOR SONGBIRDS

There are a number of ways to enhance natural habitat on your property in order to attract songbirds. When possible, retain dead trees, or “snags”, unless they pose a threat to human life or property. Snags are ideal for cavity nesting species such as woodpeckers, chickadees, bluebirds, and others. Another option is to install nest boxes on the property to attract cavity-nesting species. Shrubs provide cover and reproduction areas for songbirds so avoid trimming the lower branches. Flowers, such as sunflowers and other annuals, attract insects that in turn attract insect-eating birds. When flowers go to seed, a food is available for seed-eating birds. Partridge pea, millet, other small grains, and shrub lespedeza also provide food for songbirds.

HABITAT MANAGEMENT FOR BOBWHITE QUAIL

Warm season grasses are better for ground nesting birds because they provide open space at ground level and spread upright forming an overhead canopy. These grasses also provide a food source for rabbits, doves, deer and turkey. When planting warm season grasses, use a combination of two or more, such as switchgrass, Big Bluestem and Indiangrass. Native warm season grasses have been replaced by introduced grasses such as fescue and coastal Bermuda grass in much of the Southeast. These aggressive pasture grasses usually out-compete desired native quail food and cover plants and must be controlled or eradicated in areas where quail habitat management is desired.

Blackberry patches and plum thickets produce fleshy fruits that are particularly important to incubating hens needing easy access to high-energy foods. These thickets should be located near nesting sites and protected since they also provide shade for hens and broods, escape cover and good loafing areas.

Nesting sites can be created or enhanced simply and economically by discing or the use of prescribed fire. Mechanical disturbance or burning will set back vegetative succession, creating areas dominated by annual grasses and weeds. Disc or burn no more frequently than every two years, as dead vegetative material from the previous growing season is often used in the construction of quail nests.

Discing between November and March will generally stimulate the growth of plants such as beggarweed, ragweed, and partridge pea, which are desirable quail foods and good at attracting insects. Undisced strips of fallow land should be alternated with the disced strips. These will provide nesting and escape cover.