340 The Ruffed Grouse 



five year-round important foods belong to the woodland ground 

 cover association, namely: sedges (Carex); bunchberry (Cornus 

 canadensis); strawberry {Fragaria); wintergreen (Gaultheria); 

 Canada mayflower (Maianthemum); partridgeberry (Mitchella); 

 ferns ( Polypodiaciae ) ; and sheep sorrel ( Rumex ) . Among the forty- 

 one genera of secondary food plants, twenty-one are in the ground 

 cover association, mostly in the woodland understory. Protection 

 from fire and grazing plus a controlled crown density are the man- 

 agement measures needed to maintain a supply of these important 

 foods. 



A considerable part of the grouse's food comes from shrubs. Like 

 the ground floor herbaceous plants, shrubs in the understory of a 

 woodland must be managed by controlling the light conditions at 

 the canopy. Protection from grazing is quite essential for a satisfac- 

 tory shrub stand, since many of these plants are eaten by catde. 

 The same sixty to eighty per cent crown canopy recommended for 

 stimulating the ground cover is suggested for shrub development. 

 But, while shrubs are an important element in the whole woodland 

 plant association, they serve best as food when along the woodland 

 edges and in openings in the woods (see Plate 43B). It is here that 

 their fruiting is best and the production of buds most abundant. 



Among the twenty-five primary food-producing genera, eleven 

 are predominantly shrubs or vines. The shrubs include most of the 

 dogw^oods ( Cornus ) , the hazelnuts ( Corylus ) , hawthorns ( Cratae- 

 gus), laurels (Kalmia), sumacs (Rhus), roses (Rosa), brambles 

 ( Rubus ) , blueberries ( Vaccinium ) , and the viburnums ( Viburnum ) . 

 The vines include poison ivy {Rhus toxicodendron), greenbrier 

 (Smilax), and grape (Vitis). Of the forty-one genera of plants of 

 secondary value, thirteen are shrubs or vines. 



The mountain laurel, flowering dogwood, and some of the blue- 

 berries and viburnums are prevalent in the woodland understory. 

 The others are predominantly found along the edges and in open- 

 ings. All fruit best where they receive plenty of sunlight. It is advis- 

 able then to develop shrubs mainly along the woodland borders and 

 in woodland clearings or lanes. 



ESTABLISHING WOODLAND SHRUB BORDERS 



A shrub border between the woodland proper and an open field is 

 a logical conservation development on farms. In addition to its wild- 



