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The Woods in Your
Backyard
Learning to Create and
Enhance Natural Areas
Around Your Home
Jonathan Kays
Natural Resource Extension Specialist
“Educating People to Help Themselves”
4 Minutes to a Better Backyard
Your Backyard Woods
Different Points of View!
Meet the Nelson’s
Meet the turtle
Meet the birds & their
food – caterpillars…
What We Will Do
• Utilize the Woods in Your Backyard guide and
workbook to help you learn more about your
land.
• Develop some priorities and projects to help you
be a better steward of the property.
-Tell us how much
land you own
-Tell us a few
questions or
issues you want
to have addressed
today?
WIBY Calls for a Paradigm Shift
• Think about planting many
trees and shrubs (at least a ¼
acre), not just a few
• Move from micro-
management to thinking at a
system scale
• Design a system that
contributes to community
social and ecological values
Develop facilitating functioning systems!
Why the WIYB Program?Woodland Ownership Trends
• woodland owners
• ownership tract acreage
• short tenure of ownership
• new/different owner’s (land ethic)
• The words we use:
Forests >
Woods >
[Natural Areas]
Number of MD Private Forest Owners (1000’s)
Percentage with 1–9 Acres of Forest
95.8
131
156
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
1976 1989 2006
Year of Survey
# o
f O
wn
ers
(x
10
00
)
1976
1989
2006
USDA Forest Service National Woodland Owners Survey – 1977, 1989, 2006
55% 65% 85%
Trend of Private Land Parcelization
Challenges Traditional Forest Industry
Purpose of Workshop
Enhance existing natural areas
Transition from mowed to natural use
Changing the Paradigm of
Landscaping from Mowed to Natural
Use
Benefits
• Improves wildlife habitat
• Improves water quality
– TN – 66% reduction
– TP – 77% reduction
• Reduces noise & air pollution
• More time for something else!
Develop
functioning
ecosystems
Options for Converting Lawn and
Other Intermediate Areas
Natural Areas Without Tree Cover:
• Mow every 3 years
• Warm season grasses &
wildflower fields
Convert to Woodland:
• Managing natural succession
• Maintain old field areas
• Tree planting
When Is A Woods Natural?
• It has structure…
• It has diversity…
• It is not mowed…
Is Your Woods Healthy?
Invasive Specie ConcernsReduce Wildlife Abundance & Diversity
From: Bringing Nature Home Doug Tallamy
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Native Woody Non-Native Woody
Nu
mb
er
of le
pid
op
tera
n s
pe
cie
s
Many more caterpillar species
on native woody plant genera in
the mid-Atlantic states
Guide Overview
A Learning Approach
• Ch. 1: The Woods In Your Backyard
• Ch. 2: Ecological Principles
• Ch. 3: Inventory Your Property
• Ch.4: Land Care Practices
• Ch. 5: Putting Your Knowledge to Work
• Appendices:
• Workbook: Downloadable,
type entries
Conceptual Framework of Looking
at Your Property
• Three types of
land use:– Intensive use – buildings,
sheds, paved areas, etc
– Intermediate use – lawns, garden, pasture, orchard
– Natural use – forested, unmowed areas with small trees & shrubs Paired 3-acre plots
Natural Succession –
Some Planting after 3
years
Natural Succession –
Some Planting after 16
years
Intensive –
Intermediate – Natural
Use Areas
Map Out Your PropertyDraw By Hand or Use Google Earth
• Outline property
• Structures
• Roads & trails
• Streams or creeks
• Lawn and woods
What are some of
the things you
would like to do?
Creating Stewardship Journal
• Some basic facts about the property
• Year acquired
• Share motivation for purchase
• Has reason for owning the land changed?
• What do you enjoy most about your land?
• What do you enjoy least?
• What do you want from the natural areas now?
Online Mapping Tools
Google MapsMdMerlin
www.mdmerlin.net
Forests for the Bay – Landserver mapping
www.forestsforbay.org
Organizing the LandscapeExamples of Habitat Units
Old fieldStream -wetland
Trees < 30 ftPine woods – Hardwood
Are trees > or < 30 feet
Lawn
Pine-hardwood
mix
Get to Know Your
Property:
Habitat Units
Designate Habitat Units – 1.3 acres
Which of the following below do
you see?
1) Large hardwoods
2) Large pine-hardwood
3) Old field area
4) Lawn
5) Pasture
6) Young woods
7) Streamside area
From: mdmerlin.net
Designate Habitat Units
3-acres
Which of the
following below do
you see?
1) Large hardwoods
2) Large pine-
hardwood
3) Old field area
4) Lawn
5) Pasture
6) Young woods
7) Streamside area
From: mdmerlin.net
Comparing Views of Mapping Programs
Google Earth www.mdmerlin.net
4 ac.
5.2 ac.
Habitat Areas - Klein Property 7 acres - Keedysville
Habitat Areas
1. Crop field
2. Crop field – plant
trees
3. Woodland - clear
invasive species
4. Riparian buffer –
plant trees
1
2
3
4
Land Care Practices
Clear out invasive species in
woodland
Expand riparian buffer
Expand woodland area
Trees, Old Fields, Privacy Screens
Creating Natural AreasExpand Existing Areas. Other Options?
Google EarthMDMerlin
Expanding existing forest areas
• (Left) The planting area expands the existing riparian area.
• (Right) Planting area should try to expand existing forest
area.
Opportunities to Work
Across BoundariesWhich of the following below do
you see?
1) Large hardwoods
2) Large pine-hardwood
3) Old field area
4) Lawn
5) Pasture
6) Young woods
7) Streamside area
From: mdmerlin.net
Get to Know Your
Property: Habitat Units
► Tree identification basics
Small Group Exercise
• Identify 3-5 Habitat Areas
– Intermediate Areas
• Lawn & pastures
– Natural Habitat Areas
• Large & small hardwoods (greater or less than 30’ tall)
• Large & small pines (greater or less than 30’ tall)
• Mixed pines & hardwood (indicate large or small trees)
• Old field area – unmanaged pasture (crowns of tree closed or
open)
• Streams - springs
• Wetland area (wet at least 4-6 months per year)
• “How to use your maps activity”, page 6 in workbook
• Add to your map with Activity 2 in the workbook
• The above refer to Activity 1, page 7 and Activity 7 (pg.23) in book
What Do You Have & What Do You
Want?:Creating Your Own
Chapter 2 - Ecological PrinciplesEcology: the study of natural communities and how they
function and interact
– Soil Resources
– The Dynamic Nature Area
– Principals of Forestry
– Water resources and your
natural area
– Wildlife ecology
A Riddle: What Am I?
• I withstand an amazing amount of abuse…
Plow Layer
Root Mat that holds
soil in place
Climate, soil, available water, and nutrients all affect how
well a tree grows. If minimum requirements are
not met, a tree may not grow in a given area.
Oaks are better adapted to dry and shallow
hilltop soils, while yellow-poplar trees are
found on more fertile lower slopes
Changing forest ecosystems
West. MD.
Southern MD.Central MD.
East. Shore
The Dynamic Natural Area:
Principles of Succession
1. Natural areas change over time, whether or not you do
anything to them.
2. You can alter the process of succession
3. Tree vary in their requirement for sunlight.
The trees that are most successful in the competition for light
outgrow and overtop the others
Tree Planting:
Push succession
ahead
Forest Harvesting:
Push succession back
How Your Woodland Develops…
• A function primarily of
– site quality
– Past history
– current practices (grazing, for example)
– species composition
A photographic history from the Allegheny Plateau in Pennsylvania
(1927-1998)
Forests are resilient and renewable
1927
1928
1937
1947
1958
1968
1978
1998
Each stage of succession supports different wildlife. Diversity
of habitat a good thing.
Habitat Areas Represent Different
Successional Stages
Old fieldStream -wetland
Trees < 30 ftPine woods – Hardwood
Are trees > or < 30 feet
Lawn
Pine-hardwood
mix
Succession Principle 3Trees vary in their requirement for sunlight.
The Dynamic Natural Area:
Principles of Succession
4. Different successional stages provide different wildlife
habitat & meet different aesthetic & recreational needs.
5. A small woodlot may not contain every successional stage
Principle: We manage wildlife species and groups
by managing the habitat. Forest management
practices a cost-effective way to alter habitat.
Three Options for
habitat management:
• Cut something
• Plant something
• Do nothing at all
The Dynamic Natural Area:
Principles of Succession
4. Different successional stages provide different wildlife
habitat, aesthetics, and recreation.
5. Every small wooded lot may not contain every stage of
succession
Silviculture – development and care of forests
Forestry Principles:Getting Down to Basics
1. Tree size not directly related to age
2. Different tree species require different conditions
3. Trees grow at different rates -compete for resources (i.e., sunlight, water, and nutrients)
4. Forests are 3-dimensional
Effect of Aspect on Site Quality
South-facing
Slope North-facing
Slope
Tree Size and Age
Which tree is older? A or B?
A B
Competing tree crowns
Tree is a factory ...Leaves use sun and
water in leaves to produce food...
More leaves…More
food…More growth...
Diameter Response to Thinning…
Development of
vertical stratification
as trees die, holes are
filled, others seed in
Forestry Principles:
Getting Down to Basics
5. Trees reproduce either from seeds or sprouts
6. Trees don’t live forever; dead trees valuable for wildlife and soil
7. No matter how you manage your land, but especially if you practice passive management, invasive and exotic species will inhabit it.
Invasive and
natural species
can take over.
Especially in
early
succession
KudzuGrapevine
Tree-of-heaven
Mile-a-minute
Japanese stilt grass
Learn to Identify Invasive & Exotic
Species
Forests and Water Resources
• Natural area soils act as a
sponge and filter, absorbing
water and removing impurities
• Trees and shrubs grown on
banks prevent erosion
• Water attracts wildlife
• When used properly, herbicide
and fertilizer are fine
Understand Habitat Requirements
Non-breeding
Breeding
Improving Wildlife Habitat Value
• Natural areas will
increase food, cover,
water, space
• Get across the message,
‘Messy is okay’
• New natural areas will
attract wildlife that will
increase wildlife-human
conflicts (i.e. deer)
Focus on Wildlife Habitat ElementsWhat is limiting?
• Cover – caves & ledges; cavity trees; snags, tree tops;
dense vegetation
• Food – hard & soft mast; wolf trees; apple trees; food
plots
• Water – wetlands; riparian zones; spring seeps
• Space – all elements in home range; landscape
features present;
Attracting Wildlife – Mast Trees
• Oak, hickory, walnut, beech
• Cherry, crabapple, hackberry,
Attracting Wildlife
Understand Edge Effect
• Interface between two or more cover types
• Zones of high wildlife activity
Hard Edge Soft Edge
Wildlife/Human Interaction
www.lincolnne.com
Habitat Elements on Your Land
Special Section on
unanticipated
issues with wildlife
•Deer
•Cats
Recreation &
Aesthetics
Examples of Habitat Area Types
Old fieldStream -wetland
Trees < 30 ftPine woods – Hardwood
Are trees > or < 30 feet
Lawn
Pine-hardwood
mix
The Nelsons’ MapVegetation type, Common Tree and Shrub Species, &
Successional Stage
Small Group/Individual Exercise
For each habitat unit fill in what you can:
• Successional Stage of each area
• Dominant tree and shrub species
• Fill out Table A: The Vegetation on Your Land (pg 9) in workbook. Identify
common tree and shrub species and successional stage as best you can.
• Activity 8, page 28 in book
Logging in Large-Lot Suburban
Developments with a Good Forester
Use smaller and lower impact harvesting
and processing equipment
Firewise
• Zone 1
• Zone 2
• Zone 3
Constraints to Habitat Management
Tree and Shrub ID
• What kind of trees and shrubs grow on your
land?
• Use simple MD Leaf Key to start. Peterson’s
Guide to Trees and Shrubs a great resource.
Many online resources as well.
• The “manual” covers the bare basics
Part II, Lesson 3, Page 25
Tree Identification Resources
www.extension.umd.edu/
woodland
From: Local Bookstore
Cost: $17
http://dof.virginia.gov
Online Resources:
– Leafsnap
– vTree Leaf Key – Virginia Tech
Leaf-type Comparison
Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Whorled
Catalpa
Leaf Structure
Petiole (leaf stalk)
Bud
A Simple Leaf
Leaflet
Petiole (leaf stalk)
Bud
Pinnately compound
A Compound Leaf
A Compound Leaf
Leaflet
Petiole
(leaf stalk)
Bud
Palmately compound
Leaf margins
Dentate
EntireDouble
serrate
Lobed
Serrate
Evergreen Trees
• Branching pattern not important
• Leaves or needles distinctive
– spruce - square needles
– fir - flat needles
– pines - grouped in fascicles
• Type of fruit, called a cone
• Bark and tree form can be important
• Location important
Deciduous Trees
• Branching Pattern first character to check.
Only a few species have opposite branching.
REMEMBER! MADCAPHorseM - maplesA - ashesD - dogwoodCAP - viburnums, honeysuckleHorse - horse chesnut
Other Deciduous Characters
• Leaf Type - simple or compound
• Leaf Shape - round, oblong, heart
• Leaf margin - smooth, toothed, lobed
•Buds - size, color, shape•Fruits - acorn, legume•Smell - almonds, spice, nasty•Tree Form - vase-shape, spreading•Bark - platy, ridged
4-H Simple
Dichotomous
Leaf Key
Chapter 4 – Land Care Practices
• Converting lawn to woodland
– Herbicides to control invasives; mowing;
planting trees & shrubs;
• Modifying or improving habitat
– Agroforestry; brush piles, creating an opening; firewood cutting;
food plots; girdling, grapevines; mast trees; pruning; herbicide
application, thinning, etc.
• Improving aesthetic or recreational opportunities
– Creating a natural haven; trail design
Tree Planting Video
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN13n2gxeL
k&index=9&list=PL0RQ962SbK2jzI0oQp40qJGE
IUN-c7ZBn
Choosing Projects
Menu driven table
helps landowners
identify & rank
objectives with
some suggested
broad project ideas.
Similar table for
other objectives
Make a Timetable – Spell out Details
Stewardship Journal…A Work In
Progress
Record Your Progress
Important: Take pictures…
WIYB Guide A Hands-On
Resource
• 108 pages
• 17 activities
• Case studies
• Downloable
Workbook
Published by PALS (Plant & Life Sciences
Publishing)
www.palspublishing.cals.cornell.edu
List Price - $24
Additional resources available at website below:
www.extension.umd.edu/woodland
Questions?
Jonathan Kays
Natural Resources Specialist
University of Maryland Cooperative Extension
18330 Keedysville Road
Keedysville, MD 21756
301-432-2767 x323
www.extension.umd.edu/woodland
“Understanding forest and wildlife ecology is like studying forensics.”
Starting with Values
• Can you articulate the values you have for
you property
• Values Process gives more weight to what’s
important to you to make:
– Inform decisions
– Evaluate options
– Choose wisely
– Solidify foundation for
future actions
