All forest decisions, including doing nothing at all, benefit some species and are less beneficial to others. Not managing the forests means there will be no habitat for critters that need dense young stands, like ruffed grouse, deer, woodcock and various songbirds. But cutting can be detrimental to animals that need extensive mature forest tracts. In most cases, active management is more beneficial to wildlife than doing nothing at all.
The benefits depend on the type of trees on your land and the harvest strategy. Your forester can develop a cutting plan which favors wildlife species you prefer. Examples are; (a) reserving some larger oaks but clear cutting aspen for deer, ruffed grouse, and rabbits. (b) Leaving dead trees for cavity nesting birds. (c) Creating a wildlife opening (d) Planting conifers for thermal cover.
Studies demonstrate the cutting of trees generally favors a wide variety of animals and creates good habitat for game animals. In fact, deer, rabbits, beaver, and ruffed grouse are very dependent on young aspen trees to survive.
|
