Before you begin to implement all the projects outlined in your management plan, it is critical that you prepare your property properly. You would hate to plant thousands of trees and have them die, or have weeds invade your native grass planting. In part two of this three-part series, the focus will be on how to prepare your property for planting either trees and shrubs or grasslands.

The decision to plant shrubs and trees should be made months in advance of their arrival. For best success, plan in the spring or summer before planting (including soil testing), prepare the site for planting in fall, order stock in winter, and plant upon arrival in early spring. Place your order early, or you may have to choose from leftover stock or receive your seedlings past prime planting time. Lack of planning is one of the main reasons why some landowners fail to grow healthy trees and shrubs. Select plant species that are adapted to the soil texture, drainage, and amount of shade at your site. Do not plant a shade intolerant tree in the shade of other trees. The local Conservation District office, nursery, public library or Michigan State University Extension offices will have information on specific plant requirements. 

Site preparation includes reducing weedy competition and any logging debris and improving soil conditions for tree growth. Most planting failures can be traced to poor weed control, so this step is very important. Because weeds compete directly with seedlings for water, nutrients, and sunlight, they must be controlled before (and after) planting. In the fall before planting, place a weed-barrier cloth or apply a general emergent herbicide like Roundup . Be sure to read and follow all label directions. Individual planting sites should be 36 inches across. When planting in rows, prepare a 36- inch wide strip. All vegetation within the area must be killed. If weeds are growing again in spring when it is time to plant, apply an emergent herbicide once again. "Emergent" herbicides kill only those plants already growing. Mechanical treatments such as disking or plowing will also help to control weeds. Many tree planters even scrape the sod off the planting site at the time of planting to reduce weed competition. 

You may purchase trees and shrubs as transplants or seedlings. Transplants are plants that were uprooted and planted in another location, while seedlings are young plants grown in one location. Both are available in bare-root form or come with soil either in containers or balled and burlapped. Seedlings are less expensive when bought in large amounts. They are also easier to plant with a tree planter because of their small roots. Transplanted stock is more expensive than seedlings, but survival and growth rates after planting are often better. In addition, larger transplant stock grows more quickly into recognizable trees or shrubs. When only a small number of trees and shrubs are needed, purchasing them with soil attached is a good idea because planting success rates are higher due to decreased shock to the plant. If possible, it is best to choose plants that were grown from a local source. 

Grasses and/or grass-legume mixtures provide outstanding habitat for nesting, brood rearing, and winter survival of pheasants, quail, and many songbirds. Besides producing food for insects, which become food for birds and other animals, the grasses produce seeds, another source of high-energy food. Rabbits, deer, and wild turkeys eat the green browse. Planted in the right location around your property, these habitats also provide an attractive landscape. 

Cool season grasses grow most rapidly during spring and early summer when cool nights follow warm days. They include native Canada wild-rye, redtop, June grass, and introduced species such as timothy, orchard grass, and brome grass. Cool season plants also include legumes such as birdsfoot trefoil, alfalfa, and several kinds of clover.

Warm season grasses grow most rapidly during summer when warm nights follow hot days. They include the native or prairie species such as big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, and switchgrass. Some landowners mix a half-pound of perennial native wildflower seeds (forbs) per acre to warm season grass plantings to create even more food and cover diversity and to add beauty. Many wildlife managers in Michigan prefer warm season grasses because they stand up better in snow than cool season types, last longer, and are native to the state. Plantings of warm and cool season grasses next to each other will provide excellent variety and are the most valuable to wildlife. 

Site conditions to consider before planting include potential weed problems, drainage, erosion potential, and soil type, depth, texture, and fertility. Some grasses and legumes do better on dry sites, and others grow well on wet areas. Certain grass species have very narrow preferences, and others seem to do fine on most sites. Timothy grass, for example, grows well on sandy-loam soils that are fairly well drained. Switchgrass, on the other hand, performs well on a variety of soil types.

Proper soil pH and fertility are necessary for the intended crop. A soil test will determine needs and recommend rates of nutrient application. Before planting cool season grasses and legumes, the soil pH should be between 5.5 and 7.0. If lime is needed to raise the pH level, apply it at least three to six months before planting or the fall before your planting season. The level of pH for warm season grasses is not that critical. 

There are two ways to plant grasses. Conventional tillage uses plowing and disking (and sometimes herbicides) to prepare the seed bed to ensure proper seed to soil contact and depth. The key is to get a firm surface before planting, and the way to do that is to follow the plow and disk with a cultipacker or roller. A site has been properly prepared when a footprint barely shows. No-till planting uses special equipment called a no-till drill that cuts a narrow trench through the sod and soil, drops seed into the trench at the correct depth and distance apart, and presses the soil back in place. No-till planting reduces the amount of work to prepare the site and also reduces the potential for erosion. The method relies on herbicides to control weed competition. 

If planting into an area with tall grasses or sod, success demands that you kill unwanted vegetation the fall before. If no-till is your chosen planting method, then mow the area before the first frost or in mid-September. Two weeks later, spray a relatively safe, broad-spectrum herbicide such as Roundup, which will kill all emergent vegetation. Be sure to read and follow label directions. You can plant grass and grass mixtures with a no-till planter early in the spring before greenup occurs. If you are late with planting, you may have to kill weeds and other regrowth with another application of herbicide. 

If you choose to use conventional tillage, you must eliminate all unwanted vegetation by plowing and disking, which you should do in the fall. The following spring, plow and disk once more if regrowth has occurred (or spray with herbicide). For smaller sites, a roto-tiller may do the job of cultivation. 

A key reason that no-till is growing in popularity is that it does not disturb the soil, which may allow dormant weed seeds to germinate. No-till also reduces compaction because fewer trips across the field are needed. In addition, fuel and time are saved, and erosion potential minimized.

The incorrect planting of trees and shrubs and grasses is the most common failure that usually occurs within a wildlife management plan. Regardless of what you're planting, remember that preparation is another key to achieving success.

What does this word mean? ...SNAG: A standing dead or decaying tree, important for providing nesting and feeding sites for wildlife.

Critter Quiz

The average hawk's eyesight is how many times better than the average human's?  (scroll to the bottom of this page for the correct answer!)
 

A. Two times better
B. 20 times better
C. 10 times better

If hawks were able to read, they could read a newspaper from 100 feet away.

Creature Profile

Of Michigan’s approximately 45 native mussel species, eight are considered species of special concern and ten others are included on the state’s list of threatened and endangered species. Among these is the state-threatened wavy-rayed lampmussel (Lampsilis fasciola). In Michigan, this species occurs in the Clinton, St. Joseph (of the Maumee), Belle, Huron, and Raisin River drainages, all in the southeastern Lower Peninsula. It was recently reported in the South Branch of the Kalamazoo River in Jackson County as well.

The wavy-rayed lampmussel has a rounded, moderately thick shell typically less then 3.5 inches in length. Shell color ranges from yellow to yellowish green with numerous thin wavy green rays. This species is similar in appearance to the plain pocketbook mussel (Lampsilis ventricosa), though that species can reach up to six inches in length.

Small to medium-sized shallow streams are the preferred habitat of the wavy-rayed lampmussel. It also occurs in medium-sized rivers, though much less frequently. This species can usually be found burrowed in sand or gravel substrates in or near riffles with good current. Wavy-rayed lampmussels are filter feeders, siphoning water and extracting particulate organic matter and algae from river currents.

Like many other mussel species, the wavy-rayed lampmussel employs a very unique reproductive strategy. The breeding season is long, starting in early August and continuing throughout the winter. Males release sperm into the current where females waiting downstream can siphon it in and fertilize their eggs. Successful fertilization is obviously dependent on the close proximity of females and males. After fertilization, females retain the glochidia (the parasitic larval stage of mussels) through the winter for release the following spring and summer.

The key to successful reproduction is attracting the proper fish host, the smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). To do this, wavy-rayed lampmussels display a minnow-like "lure". When the host fish approaches and bites at the lure, the mussel releases the glochidia to infect the gills of the fish. Glochidia will typically remain on the gills for 30-47 days, after which they drop off and remain in the river bottom substrate, likely not moving more than 100 meters in a lifetime.

Juvenile mussels are vulnerable to predation by crustaceans, worms, and other bottom feeders. Later in life, adult mussels are consumed by aquatic and terrestrial animals such as turtles, otters, fish, raccoons, and muskrats. Human induced threats primarily include impoundments, channel disturbance, and any other activities that affect stream flow and subsequently oxygen content. Management activities that maintain natural stream flow and minimize siltation of streams can potentially benefit the wavy-rayed lampmussel.

To learn more about Michigan’s native mussels, visit the Illinois Natural History Survey online Field Guide to Freshwater Mussels of the Midwest, and for mussel life history information, visit the North Carolina Mussel Atlas.

Last year was busy for Michigan's nongame wildlife programs. In addition to funds generated by vehicle license plates sales and interest earned from the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund, Michigan received funding from the federal State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program. The SWG program matches non-federal dollars that are used for wildlife conservation for "species in the greatest need of conservation". Michigan's 2003 allotment from this program was $1.67 million. The SWG program allows the Nongame Wildlife fund to match up to three dollars of federal funding for every one dollar of state or private funds.

Below are highlights of projects completed in 2003:

Two new sites were selected and received osprey chicks for rearing and release. A total of six chicks were reared. This project has proven successful, as translocated birds from previous years have returned and nested at both Kensington Metropark (two nests) and Maple River State Game Area (one nest). The project goal is to reestablish a breeding population in southern Michigan.

Funding also allowed survey work on state lands in southern Michigan to continue. These ongoing surveys are targeted at locating threatened and endangered wildlife and rare natural communities. In 2003, the Michigan Natural Features Inventory visited over 180 sites on 53 separate management areas, leading to 75 new occurrences for rare species and habitats. Management recommendations were made to conserve the sites and associated wildlife.

Jack pine barrens management was conducted on over 1000 acres in northern Michigan. These stands of older jack pine have now been planted with young jack pine seedlings. These sites should be ready in 5-7 years for the Kirtland’s warblers to occupy. The singing male count conducted in June found over 1200 males. This is the third year the population has been over the recovery goal that was set for these special birds.

Surveys for this rare reptile continued throughout the state. New locations were identified, and known occurrences were verified. Once widespread throughout the Great Lakes region, no more than half a dozen populations occur in states other than Michigan, considered the stronghold for this species in the United States. Populations in Michigan occur from the Mackinac bridge south to Oakland County, and west to Kalamazoo and Berrien Counties. The information gathered in these surveys will help determine if the eastern massasauga rattlesnake should be included on the federal list of endangered species.

Another source of federal funds is the Habitat Conservation Planning (HCP) program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This program funded several surveys that identified several new Karner blue butterfly sites in Michigan. A planning group including private businesses, governmental agencies, and many local organizations are holding regular meetings to develop management guidelines for this unique species.

A research project was initiated to identify a potential biological control agent to reduce or eliminate the spread of garlic mustard in Michigan’s forests. Garlic mustard, a highly aggressive, non-native plant, can spread over large areas of forest floor, preventing many native wildflower species from growing. The loss of these native species can impact wildlife that utilize those species, including insects, birds, and mammals.

Additional projects funded include watchable wildlife, Indiana bat surveys, grassland establishment and management, invasive species control, reptile and amphibian posters, piping plover protection, environmental reviews, database management, breeding bird atlas, grassland bird studies, and frog and toad surveys.

Probably more than any of our natural features, Michigan’s Great Lakes shoreline areas best represent the beauty and wonder of our natural landscape. These areas also contain some of our most important biological and ecological ecosystems. Great Lakes shorelines include rare natural communities such as open dunes, limestone pavement lakeshores, and Great Lakes marshes. These communities are home to numerous threatened and declining species, many of which are found only along the Great Lakes.

Open dunes are probably our best known shoreline community due to their spectacular vistas, recreational attraction, and the popular Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Open dunes harbor some very rare species, including the federally-endangered piping plover (Charadrius melodus), the federally-threatened Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) and Houghton’s goldenrod (Solidago houghtonii), and the state-threatened Lake Huron tansy (Tanacetum huronense) and Lake Huron locust (Trimerotropis huroniana). Pitcher’s thistle, Houghton’s goldenrod and Lake Huron locust occur only within the Great Lakes region, and Michigan contains the strongest remaining populations. Open dunes occur along much of the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan and along some Lake Superior shoreline in the Upper Peninsula. Dune environments are dynamic, gradually changing with wind and water erosion. As plants establish and stabilize the sand and change the soil, they are replaced by different plants that have evolved to take advantage of the next stage in the "ecological succession" of dunes. In order to allow these dynamic processes and the species that rely on them to persist, protected areas must be large enough to allow connectivity between dunes at varying levels of succession and between bordering transitional areas.

Limestone pavement lakeshores are another important, but lesser known, shoreline community. These occur along the northern shorelines of Lakes Michigan and Huron. They are characterized by exposed flat bedrock pavement that dips into the lake. They often have large cracks that are connected to the underlying groundwater system. Vegetation cover varies moving inland from no vegetation to dense vegetation at the upper portion of the shoreline. Species associated with limestone pavement lakeshores include the federally- threatened dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris) and Houghton’s goldenrod, and, indirectly, the federally-endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana).

Great Lakes wetlands occur along all of the Great Lakes and include several specific wetland types, including fens, marshes, and river estuaries, all of which are of conservation concern. Wetland types are generally differentiated by vegetation, water levels, and connectivity. These occur periodically throughout the state along each of the Great Lakes. Great Lakes wetlands are important habitat for many plants and animals including the federally-endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly and piping plover and the federally-threatened Houghton’s goldenrod. Great Lakes wetlands are incredibly productive and are critical feeding or nursery areas for many Great Lakes and river fishes and are important food sources for migratory songbirds and waterfowl.

(An alvar community on Drummond Island in northern Lake Huron.)

Do you know which large, white waterfowl species can be seen in Michigan wetlands by the thousands during spring migration? Where would you go in Michigan to see fall hawk migrations? What time of year is best to find elk in Northern Michigan?

In March, the Department of Natural Resources completed conversion of its popular Wildlife Viewing Guide to a web based format. Like the guide, the website features 121 sites to view wildlife and includes information on wildlife species present, best viewing times, local habitats, and other interesting information. Be sure to visit the new watchable wildlife website today!

The conversion of the Wildlife Viewing Guide to the web was supported financially through the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund and with federal funding through the Wildlife and Conservation Restoration funds.

Answers: Tundra swans typically stop in Michigan during spring migration in mid-March. Good viewing sites include the Maple River State Game Area, Naynquing Point, and Fish Point. Excellent places to view hawk migrations include Whitefish Point, Pte. Mouillee State Game Area and Lake Erie Metropark. The Metropark sponsors a "Hawkfest" every September. Elk begin rutting, bugling, and gathering cows into harems in September. This period is one of the best times to go elk viewing, but winter can also be an excellent time when the forest leaves are down.