Woodland Restoration

You no longer need to live with the woodlot you have.  You can create the forest you always wished you had. Restoring your woodland has several benefits for you the landowner as well as for the larger ecosystem. 

The vast majority of forests regrew on land that had previously been cleared for farming or used for grazing.  These second growth forests are lacking the full complement of plant species that make up a healthy diverse forest.  In most cases the trees are present but the associated shrubs and herbaceous plants are missing.  These plants make up the important understory layer and help to support a range of biological processes and host of organisms. It is this diversity that makes a forest communty different from a tree farm.

The understory is the most important ecological layer of the forest but in most cases is absent or degraded.  The majority of bird and animal species are dependant on this layer for their very survival.  A woodland with out an understory is close to being a green dessert. A dense understory of forbs, shrubs and tree seedlings will harbor more bird species than a woodland lacking this vital layer. the forest floor covered in native forbs and tree seedlings is also more resistant to invasion by non-native plant species.

Shrubs species are particularly important to establish in the understory layer. Their small overall size, branching pattern and multiple stems provide much needed cover for birds close to the ground. Many woodland birds particularly ground nesting species will benefit from a healthy understory of shrubs and tree saplings. The cover protects them from predators, provides nesting sites and increases food resources.

You can restore your woodland using a combination of nursery grown plants and direct seeding. You can read more about direct seeding on the Ecological Services page.

Virginia Bluebells in spring. 

Woodland wildflowers bring abundant color and interest to the woodland comunity. Your woodland can become as attractive and inviting as any flower garden or arboretum. Most woodland flowers can be introduced from seed and are fairly easy to establish in large numbers. Direct seeding of woodland forbs is the only economical way to repopulate your woodlands. Using direct seeding techiques you can establish numerous plant species over many acres.

Lack of understory in a second growth woodland .

The trees and herbaceous species that grow in the woodland understory are some of the most beautiful flowering plants known to gardeners: Flowering dogwood, Virginia bluebells and Blood root are just a few examples.  These plants can grace your woods with beautiful blooms and foliage. Once a few plants are established they can expand their numbers by natural means or you can help them spread by collecting and planting the seed.

Restoring your woodland flora will not only create beautiful woodland scenes for you but restore an important ecological component of the forest community that will benefit numerous wildlife species.

Blue cohosh covering the ground in a beech forest.

this page Posted February 20, 2008