Early Successional Areas: the importance of a declining habitat

Introduction

Habitat is one of the three pillars of wildlife management and is one of the most vital

components of an animal's life. If a whole category of habitat that was once abundant and

widespread gradually disappears it will have profound effects and lead to the extinction of many

species. This is precisely what has been happening to early successional habitats across the

United States and has led to the declines in populations of many species across almost every

major class of animal (Askins 2013). Early successional habitat is crucial for the survival and

reproduction of many species in the United States, and because of the decline in early

successional habitat many reliant species are also on the decline (Smith & Marks 2007).

Grasslands, meadows, bogs, and young forests are all examples of this type of habitat (Smith &

Marks 2007). These habitats are disturbance dependent and defined by pioneer plant species such

as graminoids, forbs, and shrubs. They can be permanently kept in early succession, as is the

case with a properly managed grassland, or can be temporarily in a state of early succession,

which can be the case with young forests that do not experience disturbance.

Because early successional habitats often do not include large trees, and because they are

in many cases vast open areas, they have been seen as the perfect place for agriculture and

development. Historically these areas were created by natural disturbances such as wildfires,

floods, and grazing. These habitats were also managed by native Americans, but upon European

settlement were converted to agricultural use and development and natural disturbances were

suppressed. Many of these areas would later be abandoned or turned back into wilderness, but

instead of being reverted back into early successional habitat they were converted into even aged

forests. These areas are now mid successional forests and account for ¾ of forested area in New
England (Smith & Marks 2007). This historical neglect, accompanied by modern development

have caused early successional habitats to be some of the scarcest habitats in the United States

(Smith & Marks 2007). Another threat is invasive plants such as tall fescue, orchard grass, and

phragmites. These plants have the capacity to take over early successional areas and choke out

native grasses, wildflowers, and tree saplings (Orr 2005) rendering what could have been

valuable habitat virtually useless. Since there are less naturally occurring early successional

habitats than are needed, it has become imperative for land and wildlife managers to preserve

what exists and restore more potential habitat going forward.

One of the biggest issues when it comes to early successional habits has to do with

human dimensions. People tend to favor large trees and old growth forests and tend to support

their preservation over the preservation of other habitat types (Gobster 2001). This means less

pushback from the public when a grassland is destroyed than if a forest was cut down. This also

means that early successional habit that has the potential to become late successional is often

managed, or more accurately not managed, in a way that favors the evolution into late succession

rather than reintroducing disturbances to keep it in early succession no matter which would be

more advantageous to the wildlife. Finally, it means that efforts to create more early successional

habitats such as any type of silviculture or burning is often met with resistance from people who

usually support wildlife preservation.

Importance of the Issue

This issue is very important because it deals with changes caused by humans that in the

past were thought to be good practices, such as preventing wildfires, leaving areas undisturbed,

and creating as much forests as possible in wild areas. We now know that some of these
disturbances are good and create unique ecosystems that certain species have evolved to depend

on and by doing what we thought was correct has actually caused major problems for many

species. It is interesting that many of the solutions to this problem involve human interaction

with the landscape in ways that many people would consider detrimental without proper

education on the topic or issue. I also believe that the creation and protection of early

successional habitats is important because it will help many threatened and endangered species

recover and prevent the listing of many other dependent species. The importance of habitat for

animals is immeasurable and is likely the most important factor when preserving a species

because without enough habitat the species will never be able to survive in the wild, let alone

have self-sustaining stable populations. This issue deals directly with an entire category of

habitat that has seen frightening declines and neglect historically, so it is imperative that efforts

to reverse these effects are taken.

Specific Species

Perhaps the most famous case of a species reliant on early successional habitat in the

Northeast is the golden winged warbler. This songbird is facing steep declines in populations and

has one of the smallest populations of any non-listed songbird (Campbell 2022). One of the large

reasons for this decline is the loss of early successional habitat that they need for breeding. In

many cases this land was set back successional by wildfires and floods, but human practices have

reduced these disturbances and until recently there were no efforts to replace the habitat that was

no longer being created naturally (Campbell 2022). However, efforts to reestablish these habitats

have had positive impacts on the golden winged warbler populations and on several other species

that were also declining in population, making the golden winged warbler an umbrella species.
(Bakermans 2015). This discovery led to an increased awareness of the importance of these

kinds of habitats.

Another key group of animals that is reliant on early successional habitats are arthropods,

particularly native bees and butterflies. Specific species in decline are Karner blue butterfly

Lycaeides melissa samuelis (Smith 2007) and Bombus affinis, the rusty patched bumble bee

(U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. n.d.). Mature forests often lack the diversity of flowering plants

found in early successional habitats that are needed to support the many arthropod species that

once thrived in meadows and grasslands. Because many wild areas are dominated by late

successional tree growth many pollinator species are declining as they are unable to find suitable

habitat (Thompson Earth Systems Institute 2022).

These species are just examples and there are many other species in a similar situation,

from the Northern Bobwhite and New England Cottontail to the bog turtle and indigo snake

(Smith 2007), the good thing is that conservation efforts aimed at any of these species will likely

also benefit many other species suffering from the same affliction. Loss of these species would

have both ecological and economical impact. Songbirds provide aesthetic value, insect control,

and play an important role in seed dispersal (Sekercioglu et al. 2004). Pollinators are vital to crop

production and plant communities which are the foundation upon which the trophic system

operates (Thompson Earth Systems Institute 2022). Early successional gamebirds and mammals

also hold value culturally and economically as desired species to hunt, and by doing so play an

important role in garnering support for conservation from groups of people who hunt but don’t

generally support environmental regulations or policy (Moore 2021). With so much apparent

value in the species reliant on early successional habitats it is clear how important it is to

conserve and restore them.

 Complexities

Despite the importance of this issue there are several complexities at play, as there

always are when it comes to wildlife management. Some of these complexities include the fact

that the public generally disapproves of manmade disturbances in wild areas, and the fact that

many of these potential habitats have been converted into agricultural land that people depend

on.

Private Landowner Cooperation in the Conservation of Grasslands and Beyond

When it comes to managing early successional habitat in the midwestern grasslands of

America, private landowner cooperation is the biggest obstacle. A vast majority of the land

grassland habitats are located on privately owned lands. Because these areas also have high

concentrations of farmland, and because landscapes that could potentially support restored

grasslands are the same landscapes that support agriculture, there is complexity finding the

balance between agricultural and restoration of grasslands (Bengtsson et al. 2019). Additionally,

many intact grassland habitats occur on privately owned land, and without incentive to keep

them intact they may have more value as cropland. Obviously, agriculture is extremely

important, it provides food and jobs to many people. But as was highlighted earlier, early

successional habitats hold their own value both ecologically and economically. Fortunately, there

are potential solutions to this issue through both voluntary government subsidy programs and

mandated protections that support coexistence of agricultural land and native grasslands.

Legislation aimed at protecting grasslands addresses the complex relationship between

agriculture and habitat. One such piece of legislature is the Conservation Reserve Program,

which provides subsidies for farmers who withdrawal crops from sensitive grassland habitats and
manage them for native plant species instead, essentially paying them to farm for wildlife instead

of crops (Conservation Reserve Program 2022). Another government incentive program is the

Prairie Conservation Act amendment of the Farm Bill. This amendment reduces subsidies for

crop insurance by 50% on areas where native sod has been plowed in order to plant crops

(Congressional Research Service). This act discourages further degradation of grasslands with

financial punishment. The American Grasslands Conservation Act is another act that was

recently proposed to congress with the aim of protecting intact grasslands and restoring

grasslands that have been lost. The act focuses on creating grants for projects aimed at grassland

restoration and protection as well as purchasing of land to protect (About the Grasslands Act

2021). These acts and others like them are important because they provide economic incentive to

private landowners to act in favor of conservation and restoration.

Many programs and studies have successfully incorporated farmland, pastureland, and

ranch land into management plans for early successional habitat (Vaughn 2015, Aldinger 2014,

USC 2018) and I think that doing this has a huge potential for positive impact. One such case

involves the Golden Winged Warbler. A study showed that nesting rates for the bird were similar

in cattle grazed pastureland and their ideal habitat (Aldinger 2014). This case shows the potential

to incorporate cattle ranching on natural landscapes in order to maintain early succession in a

way that is beneficial to landowners, cattle ranchers, and the environment. This technique

therefore makes for a good bridge for introducing landowners to the concept of managing for

wildlife in a way that benefits them.

Other such techniques that can be utilized by landowners and wildlife managers alike

include strip mowing, disking, native plant seeding, and field border management. Strip mowing

involves mowing sections of habitat about 6-12 feet wide in irregular patterns at different rates.
This creates a mosaic of habitat with plant life at different stages, providing good forage and

different levels of cover. This technique also controls invasive woody species which aren’t able

to grow back as quickly as native grasses (Harper 2007). Another technique that can be used to

manually set back succession is discing. Discing involves dragging a heavy disc or discs behind

a vehicle to cause soil disturbance and promote plant regeneration and open structure at the

ground level. Discing in the fall and winter is recommended because discing in the spring or

summer can lead to growth of nonnative warm season grasses. Seeding this area with desired

native plant seeds after discing can also help to ensure proper habitat development. These

techniques essentially create an early successional area that can be molded to the desire of

whoever manages it and are beneficial to small mammals, insects, and birds (DeGraaf 2003).

These management techniques can be easily preformed by landowners with access to farming

equipment, yet another reason that creating synergy between agriculture and grassland

conservation/restoration is important.

Human Dimensions in Relation to Management Techniques

It is always helpful to have public support when managing for wildlife, but in the case of

restoration of early successional habitat this support is rarely found. The general public has a

disproportionate affection for large animals and forests, and generally care much less about early

successional habitats such as grasslands and clearcuts as they can appear empty and dull

(Gobster 2001). The general public also holds the point of view that human disturbances to

wildlife are not good, especially when they don’t provide a direct benefit to them (Askins 2013).

They assume that early successional habitat is less valuable than late successional habitat, and

that created disturbances such as burning, and cutting down trees are destructive. This is
particularly troubling in the Eastern United States, where much of the restoration of early

successional habitats relies on silviculture and controlled burning. Due to protections, positive

public perception, and regeneration, forested land covers about a third of all land in the United

States (Smith 2007). Making use of this land to create early successional habitat therefore has

immense potential. Forests have the capacity to contain both early and late successional habitat,

meaning species that need one or the other or both will have habitat in forests that are managed

to have both types (Perry 2018). Clear cutting or selective cutting create open space and allow

for early successional plants to thrive, as well as young forest plants. A clearcut may follow a

true seral pattern if desired, or it can be continually reset to maintain a constant early

successional form. Some techniques involve cutting portions of forest, particularly at the edge of

the forest, for early successional usage. Burning can also be an extremely useful tool for

managing early successional habitat as well because it eliminates debris, provides open structure

at the ground level, and promotes foraging of wildlife (Harper 2007). Incorporating other

techniques mentioned previously (discing, mowing, etc) in portions of forests can also be done to

maintain a partially mature forest with early successional areas (Smith 2007).

The negative view of silviculture and burning generally comes from a lack of

understanding and education on the subject. This is unsurprising because it wasn’t until recently

that the scientific community truly understood the value of this type of habitat, so it makes sense

that the general public doesn’t understand it. Even more troubling is the fact that many people

who often support conservation and protection of wildlife are strongly opposed to cutting down

trees and favor a hands-off approach in which “nature takes its course”. The problem with this

point of view is that because humans have altered nature so much already, if nature were left

unmanaged it would result in habitat loss and species extinction. This is particularly true in the
case of early successional habitat in the Eastern United States because if early successional

habitat is not managed for it will cease to exist resulting in extinctions of many important

species.

One particular situation in which the sentiments of “conservationists” in the public do not

match the efforts wildlife managers can be seen in the Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management

Area in New Jersey. The area is being managed for early successional forests and a large part of

the management is timber harvest. Managers have received vicious backlash from the public and

“green groups” who oppose management practices that involve cutting down trees (Sparta

Independent 2020). Despite the backlash management was carried through and has continued,

and as a result a species of interest the, Golden Winged Warbler, has been seen in the

management area where it was previously not found (Finnegan 2020), indicating that the

management has been successful in creating early successional habitat that is needed by sensitive

species.

The obvious solution to this problem is more outreach and education on the value created

by these habitats and the benefit of actions such as burning and silviculture. Letting people know

that these actions are helping wildlife while having very minimal direct damage to wildlife

would likely increase acceptance of these practices and make it easier to protect land with critical

habitat and manage land in a way that creates early successional areas. One way to begin

introducing this topic to the public could be through the lens of mascot species that require these

habitats. Songbird species which appeal to birders and photographers, bees and butterflies which

appeal to environmentalists, New England Cottontails which appeal to children, and game birds

such as Bobwhite Quail which appeal to gamesmen. Focus on these species and their needs as

educational representatives could lead to a better understanding of habitat management practices

that would soften public pushback when it comes to managing for early succession. Combining

this education with education about small scale changes landowners can make that help these

species such as native plant lawns, native plants in landscaping and border planting. This simply

involves planting native grasses, wildflowers, or shrubs at the borders of lawns, planting beds, or

against the sides of buildings. Employing these techniques can add beauty to otherwise awkward

areas and also creates some early successional habitat that is particularly useful for pollinating

insects (Buffum et al. 2014, Smith 2007). Allowing the general public to understand the issue

and giving them ways in which they themselves can make a difference will increase support and

acceptance of management for early successional species.

Preventative Versus Corrective Management

The management methods of early successional habitat in the Eastern United States and

Mid-Western United States vary slightly based on the presence of intact habitat and the need to

create more habitat. Because the Eastern United States lacks this habitat type so severely,

restoration is the key to management (King & Schlossberg 2014). Much of this habitat is created

and protected as a result of species listed under the Endangered Species Act requiring critical

habitat. As more and more species requiring early successional habitat are listed there will be

more and more protections and restoration projects leading to an increase of habitats in an area

where they are gravely lacking. This is known as corrective management, however in the

Midwest there is more opportunity for preventative management. As described in early sections

there are policies in place that can protect intact grasslands before there is need for a strictly

corrective approach. A combination of these approaches across the United States along with

public education are the key to solving the issue of vanishing early successional habitats across

the country.
 Areas of Uncertainty

There are still many questions that need answering in regard to this issue. For example, it

remains to be seen if long term human management of early successional habitat can truly

benefit the organisms that evolved specifically to survive in naturally occurring early

successional habitat. We must also ask if anthropogenic climate change will alter the landscape

in ways that will further degrade early successional habitat, or if it may actually be beneficial in

creating natural early successional habitat because of increased natural disasters (wildfires,

flooding, etc.). It would be interesting to see if this is the case and how this would play into the

need for management of early successional habitats and if it actually beneficial.

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