70 The Ruffed Grouse 



tion) stands after the stage when briars and other hardwoods are 

 present and before it reaches the pole size. This subtype could be 

 considered a phase of the overgrown-land type but since its function 

 for grouse is more associated with the coniferous woodland group 

 it is included here. 



The important species subtypes are the same as given for the coni- 

 fer element of the mixed woods subtypes, from the spiiices and fir 

 of the North to the hard pines of the South. The understory and 

 ground cover of the coniferous types are generally quite different, 

 however. Shrubs are usually sparse or absent, and limited in species 

 when present. In mature stands the understory of shrubs and hard- 

 wood tiees is more complete and also more varied in species. The 

 ground cover is quite scanty, too, and varies markedly from that 

 found in the hardwood types. Amongst a heavy ground litter of 

 needles and leaves, we find wintergreen, some ferns, partridgeberry, 

 some orchids, bunchberry, club mosses, blueberries, polygala, and a 

 few others. 



INTERSPERSION OF COVER TYPES 



We have discussed the character and quality of the major types of 

 grouse cover. But regardless of quality, an extensive area of any 

 cover type is too much. And so it is with grouse cover. Large units 

 of a single type are relatively unproductive of grouse, no matter 

 what the type. That fact brings us to the importance of aiTangement 

 of types, and the need for interspersion. Interspersion as applied to 

 cover types refers to the mixture of different types in small enough 

 units so that the game species may conveniently make use of them 

 day by day or season by season as needed. The need for two or more 

 types within a short range is brought about by two basic facts in 

 grouse ecology; the bird requires several different types for satisfac- 

 tory year-round range and it prefers edges between woods and 

 overgrown land or slashings, woods and open land, or between over- 

 grown land or slashings and open land, rather than the deep interior 

 of any cover types. These are basic requirements for most wild-lffe 

 species. 



It is clear then, that the consideration of the character and carry- 

 ing capacity of any grouse range must give full weight to the arrange- 

 ment of the cover types and their degree of interspersion. Likewise 



