624 DESIGNING GROUSE COVERTS AND SETTING UP MANAGEMENT PLANS 



trees. On the other hand, to the forester, thoniapples ami lidinbeains are unimportant; pop- 

 ple, birch and beech are of particular value largely where a local market for such species 

 exists. The degree to which any species fits into a particular situation, then, must determine 

 whether it is to be classified as a crop or weed tree. 



The designation of individual trees as wolf trees depends upon their classification as a 

 crop or a weed species and upon the extent to which they are crowding out more desirable 

 trees or shrubs. A maple over-topping a thornapple may be considered a wolf tree if the 

 latter species is scarce and a grouse crop is particularly desired. Conversely, if thornapples 

 are abundant and the maple of good shape and important for firewood, timber or for seed, 

 it would be inadvisable to cut it simply to release the tree beneath. A veteran beech overtop- 

 ping other species more used for timber may, nevertheless, be kept to produce beechnuts for 

 grouse. But if it is one of many scattered throughout the forest, it might well be sacrificed 

 in the interests of better timber production. 



Where the main crop to be benefited by a woods operation is forest products, it is clearer 

 if one refers to the improvement work as forest stand improvement. Vi hen the principal 

 crop is grouse, it is often termed game-cover improvement. 



Figure 69 illustrates a tract, some of which was originally open land, organized primar- 

 ily for grouse production but adapted to growing a subsidiary timber crop. 



It will be apparent that good cover organization is a more complex problem than is gen- 

 erally realized. Those who have the interest, time and means to carry out management prac- 

 tices, whether for grouse alone or in combination with other forest products, may be able 

 to make use of many of these suggestions. Others, with lesser means, can still obtain good 

 results by meeting the basic requirements of composition, size and dispersion within the habi- 

 tat, even though man) desirable refinenienls are not possible. 



PLANNING COVER IMPROVEMENTS 



With the foregoing picture of cover essentials and organization in mind, there are three 

 steps necessary before one can produce a bluej)rint for cover improvement. First, the ob- 

 jectives of management must be decided upon. Then current cover conditions must be deter- 

 mined. These done, one is then ready to analyze the situation in terms of how well it fulfills 

 grouse needs. 



Establishing Management Objectives 



The possibilities of multiple use of grouse areas as well as the integration of forest stand 

 and game cover have alreaily been presented. Obviously the fust move is to decide on the 

 crops to be encouraged. One thinks naturally of firewood and lundier, of places for camp- 

 ing and hiking, of preventing soil erosion and of regulating stream flow as some of the 

 forest attributes which may be combined with tiie i)riinary objective of encouraging a grouse 

 crop. Other game species, such as the elusive deer or the lowly cottontail, may be welcome 

 likewise. Development plans must be modified accordingly. 



Determining Current Cover Conditions 



The objectives once outlined, the next step is to take careful stock of present covert con- 

 ditions. The detail with which such an inventory is undertaken depends, naturally, upon the 

 intensity of the contemplated development. This cataloguing of existing conditions as they 

 affect grouse niav be termed the cover survey. If real progress is to be made it is at the 

 same time most helpful to prepare a cover type map from which one can more easily see 



