Shelter 67 



pice or seedlings, they gradually displace the briars and herbs and 

 finally become a thick stand of saplings. This is the second type. It 

 is generally somewhat less useful to grouse than the first, especially 

 for young birds. When the saplings grow into the pole stage, about 

 three or four inches diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) the stand 

 becomes a woodland again. This stage generally lasts from fifteen 

 to thirty years after cutting. 



The species that are prominent in slashings have already been 

 indicated to some extent. Brambles, pin cherry, coppice of the 

 former woodland hardwood species, and popple are among the 

 commoner woody species. Grasses, ferns (especially bracken), fire- 

 weed, wild lettuce, and other rank-growing tall herbs may also be 

 prominent. The conifers are usually absent. Unless the original 

 stand had a coniferous mixture in the understory, the slashing is apt 

 to be all hardwoods. In many northeastern woodland areas the 

 native conifers do not seed in readily in clearcut areas. The defi- 

 ciency in conifers following lumbering is among the most serious 

 problems in both forestry and vdld-life management. 



Hardwood woodlands: Woodlands predominating in hardwood 

 species constitute a high proportion of northeastern gi-ouse range, 

 particularly in the southern portion. To a degi'ce, grouse need this 

 t\'pe of cover in their year-round life, but as a general utility type it 

 is seriously deficient in protective shelter— that is in conifers. Hence 

 the vast extent of this type indicates one of the major faults with the 

 northeastern range. 



The hardwood woodland type may be divided into two or more 

 major subtypes from the standpoint of grouse use; the main criterion 

 is the age class. The mature hardwoods, averaging about twelve 

 inches or more d.b.h., are distinguished also by the sparsity of the 

 undergrowth. Second-growth hardwoods, those from pole stage up 

 to the mature stands, constitute the second subtv'pe. Here the under- 

 story is usually well balanced. Small openings scattered through 

 make an improved subtype of either age class. 



The density of hardwood types varies considerably. In the mature 

 type, the stem density is usually sparse but the crown density close, 

 unless selective cutting or windfalls have made some openings. The 

 younger stands are progressively more dense in stems but usually 

 more open in the crown. In either case, those with scattered glade- 

 like openings are best. Corollary to the crown density, the herbaceoj 



^t'fLlBRARY 



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