Plant biodiversity has a direct effect on wildlife biodiversity

The loss of biodiversity in an area will, in almost every case, begin with the loss of botanical diversity. It is really pretty simple. The wildlife that inhabits a region will be there primarily because of the food supply and cover provided by native plants in that area. If the food supply and cover that they need to survive somehow changes, they will move on in search of “better pastures” so to speak.

It should be obvious that the native plants and native wildlife are well suited to each others needs, and that any disruption in the normal cycle which would change the plant makeup, would change the animal makeup as well.

Rapid loss of plant biodiversity

The loss of plant biodiversity can occur rapidly when construction, timber harvesting, forest fires, or other events take place.These activities may be necessary, or unavoidable, and often result in the recurrence of native populations at a different level of the natural cycle.

In the case of forest fires, some of this is natural, and will result in the natural resurgence of plant and animal populations in keeping with the cyclic nature of forests. If the forest has been allowed to go through these cycles under normal conditions without human intervention, the results will be profitable for the forest ecology. If man intervenes by preventing all fire in the understory, the result will eventually be massive fires, and massive destruction.

Slower loss of plant biodiversity

Whether you agree, or disagree about the results of rapid, large scale temporary loss of biodiversity, there is something that should be of concern to all of us, no matter where we live. That is the slow and insidious encroachment of non native invasive plant species. Plants which have long been staple food and cover plants for native animals, are disappearing slowly from their native homes, because of invasive plants from other areas. And as plant biodiversity goes, so goes wildlife biodiversity.

Non Native invaders growing with natives in a Tyler park

Lawn Culture

Everyone loves a beautiful, freshly cut green lawn, well, almost everyone. More and more people are moving away from the traditional large grass covered areas, opting instead to use more trees, shrubs, and other plants, and they are “going native” with the varieties.

I suspect that this trend will continue, as water use restrictions and environmental laws begin to effect the amount of water available for lawn use, and the allowable nutrient “run off” produced by traditional lawn care. Certain lawn nutrients may eventually be severely restricted, particularly the amount of phosphorous, due to it’s negative effects on lakes, ponds and waterways. Such restrictions are inevitable unless we learn to self regulate. It is only a matter of time.

Most of our traditional lawn grasses are not native, and therefore require extra water and nutrients to thrive. While they do produce oxygen and process water fairly efficiently, the extra nutrients, pesticides, and other excesses may make them a less practical practice than in the past.

Landscape Cultures

Traditional landscapes, with their heavy use of exotic plants, are also losing favor. Most of these non native plants require more water, more fertilizer, and more insecticides than their native counterpoints.

There is also a biodiversity issue involved. Who would have ever suspected that so many of the popular landscape plants from the middle of the last century would have taken on the role of environmental terrorists? The Japanese Silk tree, commonly called Mimosa, the Chinaberry, the Chinese Tallow, and a variety of Asian privets are now more prevalent in our woodlands, than in the home lawns where they were once used as landscape plants. Thought to be safe, and non invasive at the time, they have now become a serious threat to native biodiversity throughout the lower half of the country. Which of the currently popular exotics will become problems? It is hard to know, but just because they do not appear to be invasive now, does not mean that they won’t gain a foothold later.

Why is this a problem?

When invasive species gain a foothold in our forests and waters, they tend to eliminate the native competition, much of which is needed to support native wildlife. If a native plant preferred by pollinators disappears, the pollinator may move on. This gives the non native an even stronger foothold. It also means that the insects which pollinate food crops may be gone as well.

Studies have shown that the nutrient value of most of the non native species is less than that of the native varieties, particularly for native wildlife. As these exotics take over more and more territory, the native wildlife populations sometimes get hungry, and move on. These are just a couple of the hundreds of reasons why biodiversity should be considered when devising a landscape strategy. It is not just an issue in some remote forest or jungle, it is a problem on the home front as well.

The Native Alternatives

The fact is, that our traditional ways of dealing with our outdoor habitats are responsible for a number of environmental problems such as water quality and biodiversity, and over use of pesticides. With growing awareness of these effects, many are choosing to take a different path.

Native Habitats

Native habitats, or, backyard habitats, are viable alternatives to traditional lawns and landscapes. Rather than imposing our will on the environment, we simply allow the native environment to do what it does best, with our assistance. In the long run, there is less fertilizer, water, and pesticide needed. The native varieties are acclimated to the native environments, and native soils, and are resistant to native pests. After the initial installation or modification, there is much less labor involved. It is a cheaper, easier, more environmentally friendly form of landscaping.

Invasive plants in East Texas

Environmental Services: Exotic Vegetation Management

It’s a fact of life.

Plants move. They migrate from one area to another using a bewildering variety of locomotion methods. Sometimes they travel by hitch hiking on people or animals, sometimes by wind or water, but travel they do.

If there is an invasive plant in your area, the chances are pretty high, that you will have it on your property eventually. If you are trying to manage a habitat, like a garden, a backyard habitat, or a lake, pond or stream, or even a deer lease, you will eventually have to deal with them. The more you learn about them, and how to deal with them, the better off you will be.

When exotic plants enter an area, they may alter the environment of the area so much that things become unbalanced. This can occur when the invader takes over an area occupied by a plant that one form of wildlife uses for food or cover. When this happens, the native plant may disappear, and the animals that use them for food may disappear as well. Other plants and animals may be in some way dependent upon the animal that disappears, and consequently remove themselves as well.

This chain reaction can work its way through a local environment pretty quickly, or it may take years. More subtle forms of the same scenario, dealing with microbial and fungal activity may be at work as well. In some cases, the damage may be almost irreversible.

How can you prevent this?

Observation can be an effective means of preventing the problem. To stop any potential problem, or to eliminate it early, you have to know that the problem exists. Some exotics can stay hidden for a while, so checking the area fairly often will give the earliest detection.

Once you find something out of the ordinary, you should properly identify it, and if it is an invasive exotic, take immediate action!

Infestations, and multiple sightings may require some drastic measures to prevent the elimination of some or all of the native species, so you should know what you grow.

We offer identification of non native species and treatments designed to eliminate them. ]]> http://burnsenvironmental.com/information/2008/09/environmental-services-exotic-vegetation-management/feed/ 0 http://burnsenvironmental.com/information/2008/09/what-is-a-backyard-habitat/ http://burnsenvironmental.com/information/2008/09/what-is-a-backyard-habitat/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:26:15 +0000 james http://burnsenvironmental.com/information/?p=122

A backyard habitat is a small scale wildlife refuge. Think of it as the “Great Outdoors” in miniature! It can be something as small as a few square feet for a butterfly garden, or a bird bath and feeder, or a full scale habitat, comprising an acre or more, and attracting all sorts of native birds, reptiles, mammals, and rodents. Most habitats, even small ones attract a number of different species. Most can be modified a little, to suit your wishes.

Why Create a Backyard Habitat?

• A love of wildlife.

If you are a nature lover, why not create some in your backyard? When we say create, we really mean cooperate. When working on such a project, we are merely filling in the blank spots, or removing things of detriment.

• For the aesthetic value.

The sheer beauty of minimally managed nature as viewed from your back deck.

• For the enjoyment and education of children.

Watching the look of fascination in a child’s eyes. Enough said!

• Insect protection.

More people die from Malaria each year than from any other factor. Malaria is only one of the many diseases carried by mosquitoes. Birds and bats eat mosquitoes like kids eat candy. Having birds and bats, cuts down the mosquito problem, which cuts down on on pain, swelling, and disease. It also decreases the need for insecticides, which is always a good thing for the environment, for health, and for your wallet!

So, aside from the environmental good, and the aesthetic appeal, you are providing a public health service, that saves you money!

Basic Native Backyard Habitat Requirements

The place to begin, is in determining your DIRECTion. What do I mean? Well, let’s use this little acrostic:

Decide>Identify>Remove>Encourage>Construct>Transplant

We call this, our DIRECT approach to backyard habitats.

Decide>Identify>Remove>Encourage>Construct>Transplant

• Decide what you want to accomplish.

Is this to be a bird sanctuary, a small animal habitat, or do you simply want to attract butterflies? To some extent, by following these guidelines, you will have some of all.

• Identify what you already have.

What is already good about your landscape, and what is bad? What invasive non native plants are in the way? What will you need to do to get rid of them, and what will you use to replace them? This may cause you to want to modify what you initially wanted, as the opportunities expand. Keep in mind that you are dealing with living things, and that your project may evolve just as nature evolves.

• Remove the plants that are non native, or at least the ones that tend to be invasive.

It has been our experience, that wildlife can survive in a mixed habitat of natives and non native plant life, but that any non natives tend to throw things out of balance. Some birds will eat their fill of of non native berries or seed, and not be physically benefited. They will tend to seek out better nourishment, even if it is somewhere else. Remember, that you have limited space, so everything that grows, should benefit wildlife, or the wildlife will go.

• Encourage the plants that are native and beneficial.

There are several ways that this can be done, including a little pruning, and some of the other cultural practices that are normally used with landscape plants.

• Construct any additional structures, and water features.

You may need to provide extra cover, water, and food for the wildlife. It could be something as simple as a bird or bat house,a rock den area,a feeder for supplemental feedings, or a water feature complete with falls for the wildlife to drink from and wash in.

• Transplant any native plants needed to round out the habitat.

If you have done the things on the rest of the list, you may find that you need some other plants to help round out the native wildlife diet. Planting an extra seed bearing tree, or a few shrubs that might be the favorite food of one of your winged or furry friends, might be just the thing to encourage them to spend time at your place. Just make sure it is native.

Residential Habitat Services In East Texas

• Water: All life needs water. Without it survival is impossible. To be able to attract wildlife, there will need to be an ample supply on hand and available for the animals you are trying to attract. This can be attained in a number of ways, through naturally occurring sources such as streams, and by less natural means such as rainwater containments, and even by supplying, or supplementing with water from a water supply organization such as your city supply, or rural coop.

• Food: The species you want in your habitat will want to eat. Otherwise, they will not stick around. The best method of providing food, is to have an ample supply of plants native to your area. Non native plants usually destroy the balance in the food chain, while native plants provide food in sufficient quantities for the animals native to your area. In some cases, alternative feeding may be needed, but the best method is native plants in a native habitat.

• Cover: Animals need cover, to hide from predators, to nest and protect their young, and for periods of rest. The best cover is natural cover provided by plants native to the area. If it is not possible to provide such a thick dense growth in your habitat, other means can be constructed.

A native, natural setting is always preferred, but due to size limitations, or other considerations in residential areas, this may not always be completely possible. In such cases, the use of the most natural, least invasive method is always the best means.

Backyard Habitat Project | Where do I start? Be DIRECT

• American beutyberry Callicarpas americanis

• Muscadine Vitis Rotundifolia

• Summer Grape Vitis aestivalis

• Peppervine Ampelopsis arboria
• Wax Myrtle Myrica cerifera