17f! COVER CHARACTERISTICS AM) SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



manent trees and shrubs of the cliiTuix type as outlined in the discussion of succession 

 (p. 118). 



During the first growing season a winter-cut slashing is little more than a bare opening in 

 the woods. Although a few herbs usually flourish and some stump suckers spring up, the 

 briers, shrubs and seedlings have not yet had time to take hold. By the second summer, 

 however, the new growth has attained an appreciable density affording both food and shel- 

 ter during this season. This density, and the variety of plants as well, increase until about 

 the sixth year and are accompanied by the occurrence of a high abundance of insects, espe- 

 cially in the low undergrowth zone*. After that, development becomes largely a matter of 

 added height and the filling in of the overhead canopy. This results in a gradual shading 

 out of any intolerant low-growing forms. Thus by about the twelfth to fifteenth year the 

 cover, in most cases, consists predominantly of a thick stand of saplings, characterized by 

 sparse undergrowth and little or no ground cover. If not recut it will rapidly pass into sec- 

 ond-growth woodland. 



Aside from the fact that they created openings in tracts of woodland where such features 

 previously were lacking, these slashings seemed to exert little influence the first year. During 

 the second, and more particularly the third growing seasons, however, they were frequented 

 to a noticeable degree by both broods and adults during the summer and early fall. They 

 remained highly attractive through the eighth or ninth year after cutting, then gradually di- 

 minished. Their use during the spring has been less marked although greater than during the 

 late fall and winter. 



In spite of the fact that these slashings have proven attractive to many grouse, both broods 

 and adults, their development did not result in any pronounced shift in the distribution of 

 the birds in the compartments involved. True, in many instances broods, in order to visit a 

 slashing, extended their territories through portions of the woodlands where they probably 

 would not otherwise have gone. But they also continued to occupy those portions of their 

 habitat which had been most used previously. In other instances, slashings were apparently 

 placed where the original interspersion of cover types had been satisfactory so that, even 

 though broods were found consistently in their vicinity, records reveal that the same situa- 

 tions had also been occupied in the preceding years. Neither was survival among the chicks of 

 the broods frequenting these cut-over plots consistently better than among those elsewhere on 

 the area. 



Although this trial did not result in increased productivity one should not conclude that 

 this management technique is not sound. Rather it seems evident that, in general, the diver- 

 sification of the tracts of woodland on this area was suflBcient, without creating additional 

 clear-cut areas, to satisfy the summer territorial requirements of the birds which survived the 

 winter and nested successfully from year to year. There seems little doubt that, on areas 

 supporting low quality cover, the creation of small slashings in the interior of extensive tracts 

 of woodland would result in raising the carrying capacity. In many cases, however, it might 

 also be necessary to improve the winter cover present in order to realize this benefit, since cut- 

 over units of this kind function primarily in fulfilling the birds" summer and earl\ fall re- 

 quirements. On the other hand, such cuttings, although furnishing little winter shelter in 

 themselves, might, if placed within overly-extensive tracts of the latter, enable them to winter 

 a larger number of birds. 



* See Appeadiz. p. 776. 



