Habitat and Recreation Enhancing Wildlife And Outdoor Activities

elk herd in appalachia

Habitat Preservation and Creation for Nature and Recreation

Therefore, Habitat and Recreation are key benefits of managing a stand of timber. While the financial gain is obvious, many don’t realize that proper timber management enhances local wildlife habitat. It provides valuable benefits to the animals in your woods. It also creates opportunities for recreation, wildlife observation, nature and recreation
hunting, and other outdoor activities.

Northwest Ohio Timber
The Woods Provides Opportunities for Habitat and Recreation

Forest Nature vs. Nurture

Debris, downed trees, and snags often appear unsightly. As a result, landowners sometimes work diligently to keep the forest floor clean.

…immaculate forest floor clearing is unnatural and harms local wildlife. Leaving the debris from harvested trees is more natural for the woods

This practice is unnatural. Though, Habitat and Recreation may look tidy, clearing the forest floor removes crucial habitat and resources for many species in Appalachian forests.

Unmanaged forests have trees that succumb to disease, pests, high-winds or heavy storm activity as well as simple old age. This is healthy and natural. Damaged, deformed, and declining trees are biodiversity hotspots. They support local plants, animals, and fungi.

Landowners’ clean-up efforts or aggressive timber harvests often eliminate these bio-hotspots. Also this harms wildlife presence and reduces biodiversity in your woods.

Forest Nature
Forest Nature

Give Nature a Helping Hand

Human activity creates wildlife habitat piles.They consist of branches, small trees and other biomass and act as simulated burrows. Habitat and Recreation piles mimic conditions found in mature forests. These include fallen trees and older den trees.

After a managed timber harvest or storm, people construct the piles using biomass that is not marketable. They heap up small trees, boughs, and limbs to create little “critter condos.”

Our philosophy is to harvest mature trees before their inevitable decline. Building wildlife piles after a Timber Works managed harvest keeps woodland habitats vibrant. It also allows landowners to earn cash flow from their timber.

Trails and Recreation: Creating Accessible Spaces for Nature Enthusiasts

In addition to creating habitat through biomass piles and artificial snags, a Timber Works managed harvest creates passable paths and roads.

When our professional logging crews finish a job, habitat and recreation they smooth logging roads. They also create proper water run-off infrastructure and offer soil erosion management tips.

This leaves your timber stand with trails for hiking, nature-watching, ATV and horse-back riding and more.

Give us a call to discuss improving habitat and recreation opportunities in your forest.

References

1: Northwest Natural Resource Group

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