Black-billed (shown above) and Yellow-billed Cuckoos feed heavily on gypsy moths and may play a role in preventing outbreaks.
Amanda D. Rodewald, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor of Wildlife Ecology,
School of Natural Resources,
The Ohio State University
Preservation and management of “open space” is an emerging issue in Ohio and throughout the country and is of great interest to most residents. As the landscapes of the United States become increasingly urbanized, “open spaces” that are free from housing or commercial development are among the only areas left to provide wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation for citizens. Consequently, many people support the acquisition and naturalistic management of open spaces, and cities are heavily investing in these efforts. There are examples of open space in every community, and these include parks, cemeteries, golf courses, corporate land, and schoolyards. Indeed, open spaces now represent tremendous land holdings throughout the country. For example, golf courses alone cover over 1.5 million acres in the United States.
Open spaces represent excellent opportunities to provide not only economic, educational, aesthetic, and recreational benefits to land managers and nearby residents, but also habitat for a variety of wildlife. For example, with proper management, golf courses might provide critical “surrogate” habitat for regionally declining species like the red-headed woodpecker (in the East and Midwest), the Bell’s vireo (in the Midwest), and the burrowing owl (in the West). Similarly, shrubby fields in parks can provide habitat for certain declining birds associated with early-successional forests, such as the prairie warbler. Contrary to what some may think, the benefits of wildlife-friendly landscaping do not only extend to the plants and animals of an area. Managers and owners of open spaces also can save money and time on maintenance and use wildlife management as a tool to leverage public support. Local residents can enjoy a variety of activities, such as hiking and birdwatching, in areas free from extensive pavement and buildings. In many cases, open spaces provide ideal “learning laboratories,” where schoolchildren are exposed to ecological principles, management of natural resource, and the natural history of local plants and animals.
Wildlife habitat enhancement has the potential to improve the ecological and social values of public open space and corporate land, particularly at the rural-urban interface. The purpose of this bulletin is to introduce you to some of the basics of managing wildlife habitat. Different sections will discuss management of specific habitats. This bulletin is intended only to be a primer. Please consult other sources for more detailed information.
Management of your property for wildlife can provide several benefits to you, as land managers, and others.
Aesthetic. Flowering and fruiting plants associated with wildlife-friendly landscaping are appreciated by visitors to open spaces. These habitat features also provide more privacy and opportunities for solitude than turfgrass-dominated areas because they add structure to the land. Some have suggested that these visually pleasing qualities promote relaxation, peacefulness, and a sense of contentment.
Recreational. Abundant wildlife populations and natural areas provide recreational opportunities such as wildlife photography, bird watching, fishing, and hunting. Open spaces can also bring neighbors together for a common purpose (e.g., building bluebird boxes, hiking trails) and, thus, build a sense of community.
Economic. Management practices for improving wildlife habitat often provide benefits such as reduced soil erosion, improved water quality, and increased soil moisture, which can translate into substantial money savings. Even simple measures, like strategically placing trees near buildings, can reduce heating and cooling costs. Certain wildlife habitat improvements (e.g., converting from turfgrass to prairie) can directly reduce maintenance costs. In fact, businesses have reported up to 50 percent reductions in lawn maintenance costs after the establishment of native prairie grasses. In some cases, landowners can receive additional income by establishing private or public wildlife recreation preserves on their land or promoting wildlife-related activities to increase ecotourism and use of their property. Adjacent residences also can profit, as land values are often greater near open spaces than in areas lacking open spaces.
Educational. Habitats intended for wildlife can serve as outdoor classrooms for schoolchildren. Students can learn to identify plants and animals, as well as see how human and environmental needs can be balanced. Educational opportunities simultaneously provide excellent public relations exposure and improve the image of a company or business.
Ecological services. Few people recognize the important ecological services provided by wildlife. Each species performs a specific function in the ecosystem that directly or indirectly benefits the environment and other organisms, including humans. For example, many birds, such as blue jays, disperse acorns and other seeds throughout the landscape. Bats may reduce the numbers of mosquitoes around your home by feeding on them. One bat alone may eat up to 3,000 insects in a night! Similarly, insectivorous birds can help plants by consuming insects living on bark, leaves, or branches. Earthworms, beetles, and certain rodents turn over the soil and recycle nutrients. Ecologists are continually learning about new complex relationships among organisms and their environment. By providing habitat for wildlife, you ensure that some of these ecological, recreational, educational, economic, and aesthetic benefits will be maintained on your land.
Wildlife habitat describes the complex mixture of food, cover, water, space requirements, and environmental conditions where an animal lives. Each animal has specific habitat requirements, and the distribution and abundance of species are limited by the quality and quantity of habitat in a given area. To occur in a particular location, an animal must find at least one of its habitat requirements met there. Some wildlife species, like river otters, are called habitat specialists and will only be found in one type of habitat (in this case, streams or rivers). Other wildlife, such as deer, are habitat generalists and they may occur in many types of habitat (from forest to farmland to suburban developments).
The four main components of “habitat” are:
Food. Every animal needs food for growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Sources of food are as diverse as the animals that eat them—from flowers to bark, insects to worms, small mammals to birds. Although supplemental food sources like birdseed can attract certain animals, they generally do not provide the best sources of food for wildlife. Instead, natural food sources, like native plants, fruits, and insects, should be the focus of management activities whenever possible. “Native” refers to plants or animals that naturally occur in a particular area or region. Aside from being the best overall food sources for wildlife, native plants and insects almost always are associated with lower energy and maintenance costs than non-native (exotic) foods. In addition, non-native plants can rapidly displace native plants.
Water. Most wildlife must consume water every day, so habitat that provides a water source can be attractive to many animals. Of course, animals will use water for other purposes as well. Wetland or aquatic-dependent species, such as frogs, some turtles, waterfowl, and fish, require permanent or semi-permanent streams, ponds, or wetlands for their survival. Many birds will bathe in water, and even butterflies will “puddle” in moist or muddy soil. Depending on the type of animal that you wish to attract, you will need water sources of different sizes, shapes, and depths, ranging from simple birdbaths to complex wetland systems.
Cover. Cover provides protection both from predators and the weather (wind, cold, rain). Nearly any plant will provide some degree of cover to an animal. However, native plants usually offer the best sources of cover. Many people assume that only trees and woody shrubs will serve as suitable cover, but prairie grasses and flowers provide excellent cover to a wide range of animals as well. Cover also provides an important benefit to land managers in that many recreational users prefer using areas with ample vegetation because they are more private and can increase enjoyment.
Space to live and to raise young. In addition to requiring particular habitat components, wildlife also differ in the amount or location of the habitat they require to live and raise young. This “space” might be used to establish and defend territories, to court and attract mates, or to raise young. The amount of habitat available to an animal frequently affects the quality of food resources and the number and types of predators in an area as well. Area-sensitive species require large amounts of land, whereas other species can live on small parcels of habitat. Many songbirds of mature forests, such as wood thrush and scarlet tanager, are known to be area-sensitive and may require hundreds of acres of forest. Other forest birds, like downy woodpeckers and Carolina chickadees, can live on less than an acre of forest. Location of habitat can also influence wildlife. Even if suitable habitat is available, some species will avoid using areas near a habitat edge (junction between two habitat types). These species are often referred to as interior species and include animals like salamanders and many warblers. Other wildlife, such as turkey, grouse, and deer, prefer using edges of habitat because of the abundant browse and vegetation usually present in those areas.
A note on biodiversity: Frequently, people consider maximizing “biodiversity” as the preferred goal of wildlife or habitat management. Biodiversity is a term used to describe the variety of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms) and the relationships that they have with each other and the environment. Conserving biodiversity on the planet is critical, but this cannot be accomplished by maximizing diversity at every location. In fact, rare habitats or those that contain sensitive or endangered species are extremely important from a conservation perspective, yet they may have comparably low levels of biodiversity. The best approach is to consider the unique, rare, or declining habitats and species that may be found on your property rather than focus on the number of species present.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868