By Beth Sullivan
It was a long winter, but we planned
and had hopes for spring. Somehow, (we know how) our best plans for
being organized and meeting and having groups together to get work
done in the spring, never materialized. Some of us hiked; many of us
researched; all of us thought a lot about what would be our next
steps for the Hoffman Preserve.
We found some interesting research
about planning our forests for the warming future. Where we live now
could become much more like the climate of Maryland in another
generation or two. In the mid 1900’s the preserve was planted with
conifers: hemlock, pine, and larch, to re-create a northern forest
habitat. We have the opportunity now, to think about a more
southern forest, and if we choose to help mother nature, we may
direct our thoughts to trees and plants that will thrive in the
coming warmth.
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| With more sun this hemlock has healthy new growth. |
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| A young white pine seedling will have no competition to grow tall. |
New sights to see
Since the weather has warmed up,
several of us have taken the opportunity to hike out and around to
really explore what is happening since the project was completed last
year. One thing we noticed was that everyone else was out exploring
too. The preserve is getting a lot of visitors, and the good thing
is that people are beginning to get a little idea of what we were
aiming for. The new signs helped, too.
The first thing we notice is how
much more light there is. Even with the leaves emerged, there are
big bright sunny patches and places where the sun streams in at
angles, creating some great atmosphere. You can also see the tops of
the trees. No longer do you walk among trunks, but now you can
admire the tallest of trees.
The birds also enjoy those open
patches of light. Even the true forest dwelling birds like to come
out to the edges, to the light, because that’s where they can find
insects. The sunny patch cuts are now swarming with all sorts of
flying insects, including different butterflies and dragon flies.
Those aerial insectivores, like flycatchers and swallows have found
themselves better hunting grounds. For the first time we have had
bluebirds on the preserve. They nest in cavities. Over the past many
years, with many trees dead or dying, woodpeckers have created
numerous inviting spaces for those birds to claim. Chickadees,
titmice, and nuthatches use holes as well, and their numbers have
increased.
While there is still a lot of
messy-looking wood on the ground, from branches and tree trunks that
are still breaking and falling, that coarse woody debris is
essential for so many reasons. It creates numerous nooks and crannies
for all sorts of wildlife. We also have begun to create brush piles
to tidy up a bit, but also to provide habitat. From medium-sized
mammals like opossums , to chipmunks and mice, there are plenty of
spaces to hide. Birds like wrens and sparrows will find shelter
among the tangles of branches and will find plenty of insect food.
As the wood decays, there are all sorts of insects, especially
beetles, and other invertebrates, that come to feast on the rotting
wood. Amphibians, particularly salamanders, rely on the damp dark
areas under wood to find food and shelter. All the way down to the
smallest organisms-bacteria and fungi-the soil under the old wood is
alive.
There were many places in Hoffman,
before the project, where the forest floor was barren. There was no
understory and no diversity to support so much life.
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| Small mammals will have more places to hide in brush piles. Photograph by Rick Newton. |
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| A garter snake has more sunny patches to enjoy. |
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| Flycatchers are more abundant as they can find insects in the sunny openings. |
New life to see
New life is most apparent in areas
where the forest had been somewhat diverse before. A forest with a
mix of tree species and shrubs in the understory will have a greater
seed bank, which is years of seeds lying dormant in the soil, waiting
for an opportune time to sprout. That time is now. A small lowbush
blueberry that struggled in the shade has now sent out runners and
spread its clones and offshoots in all directions, creating greater
patches of green. These bushes already flowered and are developing
berries for maybe the first time in decades. These berries will be
available for many different birds and mammals later in the summer
and fall. We lost many oak trees to drought and gypsy moth
devastation in the last several years. In the open areas there are
many, many seedlings sprouting from acorns produced before the trees
died. Maybe when they are old enough, there will be a control for
gypsy moths . We have to hope they can adapt to a changing climate.
Many of the
trees that were cut to harvest are also re-sprouting from their
stumps. This is most noticeable in the red maples where the young
leaves crown the stump. Over time the strongest will survive and a
multi-trunked tree will thrive.
We may have to help Mother Nature
along in places where the very dense shade of the hemlock groves had
no diversity and no seed bank. But that is the fun of watching and
waiting. There is always something new to see there. We invite you
all to enjoy the changes, take pictures, send us your observations,
and watch the rebirth of the Hoffman Preserve.
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| It's easier now to see the tops of the trees. |
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| This hillside is now becoming a patchwork of green, mostly young berry bushes and cherry tree seedlings. |
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| This red maple has put up numerous stems and leaves already. |
Photographs by Beth Sullivan, unless
otherwise indicated.
