Our goal is to provide a variety of habitats that support a diverse mix of wildlife.
By Tom Koritansky, Nature Resource Manager
Have you ever heard the old saying “change is inevitable?” It’s a saying that holds true for a lot of things we encounter throughout our lives and is especially meaningful for anyone who enjoys observing the natural world. As the landscape has changed across Lake County over generations, so too has the wildlife that now inhabits it. As stewards who value the diversity of habitat and wildlife, we are challenged to ensure that our natural areas remain desirable to the creatures that call them home.
At the time Lake County was settled, the land was predominantly forest. Over time, our communities developed and suburbs expanded. Changes are still happening today, as land that was once farmed is still developing or reverting back to forest. Each stage of change has left its impression on the landscape.
This change in the vegetative components of land from fields to forests is called succession. As our landscape has undergone these changes, maintaining old fields has become a priority for those involved in managine natural areas. As forests were cleared, our region became home to many species that prefer grassy meadows and brushy fields. Many of these species have begun to decline as meadows and areas in the early stages of succession are becoming sparser. Our goal is to provide a variety of habitats that support a diverse mix of wildlife.
Old fields like this one at Lake Erie Bluffs periodically require vegetation control such as mowing in order to maintain them as early successional habitats.
Today, we live amongst fairly young woodlands with very few areas of old-growth forest. Farmland has given way to meadows, shrubby fields, and young forests. Livestock that once roamed these lands have now been replaced by a variety of wildlife like red fox, white-tailed deer, meadow vole, field sparrow and American woodcock just to name a few. Fields once host to acres of grasses used for forage are now filled with wildflowers, shrubs and small trees. The variety of plant life has given rise to a number of insects that should also not go unnoticed.
Promoting actions that maintain and improve old fields is a positive natural resource management practice. Their promotion encourages basic habitat needs for organisms adapted to thrive in these environments. Establishing areas capable of providing food and cover is a key component to quality habitat management.
Throughout much of the land conserved by Lake Metroparks, certain areas have been identified that lend themselves to active management practices. Habitats in the early stages of succession such as meadows and old fields are one type and require many practices to take place over time to achieve a desired outcome. Most often mowing is the practice used to maintain these habitats, but in other instances, prescribed burns, tilling of soil, and selective cutting are used. Practices that promote the sustainability of old fields often lead to an invigoration of growth in the vegetative components that translates to more desirable habits for the organisms that depend on them.
Prescribed burning is a tool often used to manage old fields and meadow habitats.
After conducting a prescribed burn, the landscape quickly rebounds with invigorated growth. Lush vegetation quickly grew to the heights seen in the photo within one month of being burned.
Sometimes just inhibiting vegetative growth isn’t enough to maintain a desired early succession habitat. In some instances, desirable vegetation can be outcompeted by invasive plant species. Other practices may need to be employed and could involve the use of herbicides to remove invasive pests or planting of more desirable plant species. The overall goal of these practices is to turn an area overrun by undesirable invasive plants into a high-quality habitat capable of providing wildlife with food and shelter.
Timing is of utmost importance when implementing habitat management practices. Consideration is given so that disturbances made to the landscape are timed to minimize the effect on wildlife utilizing those areas. Each old field presents its own unique characteristics and challenges so no one single method or timetable fits every situation.
Equipment like this track loader and brush hog are typically used to mow old fields with an abundance of woody vegetation to maintain these areas in the early stages of succession.
As old fields and meadows continue to change through succession and the encroachment of undesirable invasive species, active habitat management becomes more important to ensure these areas remain desirable and productive for wildlife. Combined with monitoring our natural areas, habitat management strengthens Lake Metroparks’ commitment to conservation.