228 



FOOD HABITS AND REQUIREMENTS 



oak. black cherry and sugar maple. As such a stand develops tnward maturilv. the forest be- 

 comes progressively less productive of grouse food plants. 



On wooded areas that have been cul over, whether for forest products or especially to bene- 

 fit wildlife, the character and value of the succeeding growth will depend upon how heavily 

 the stand has been cut. whether or not the brush has been burned and on the individual site 

 conditions. If the stand has been lightly cut and the products skidded out on the snow, the 

 change may be chiefly in age classes, with relatively slight alteration in species composition. 

 With heavier cuts and especially when the brush is burned and when the forest floor is torn up 

 l)V skidding on dry ground, the jjlant succession is set back sharply, bringing in more of the 

 pioneer species, such as briers, pin cherrv and aspens. 



SCRUB APPLES AM) 1 1 VU 1 IIDK.NES. CATTLK SKKDKII l\ OLD PASTIKKS. MiK PKIMK KAVOHITKS WITH 



THE CROISE 



.None of the iinporlant forest t\ pes of \c\\ '^'ork is resistant to (ire. Liiilil mitI;iic bums thai 

 run through the dry leaves may appear to do no harm, yet they not only scorch the trees but 

 may also eliminate many of the small and tender plants of the forest floor, such as ferns and 

 parlridge-bcrries. A light surface fire once in a decade may be enough to exclude softwood 

 seedlings completely, especially those of the hemlock which are so useful to wildlife. More 

 severe burns may seriouslv weaken or kill the whole forest, reverting tlic pLint suticssion to 

 an early stage. This over areas of ;i fiu ai res may be desirable. He|)oated burns, however, 

 deplete both soil and forest and uhimately reduce the plant cover to scrub. In some sections 

 of the Adirondacks where the soil was thin, fire has so completely destroyed the forest thai 

 restoration will require a century at least. 



Although fire is a usi-ful tool at the right time and in llic rijilil |>lai c il is an i-\ccc(lingl\ 



