Ecological Landscape: Wildlife Habitat

Also On This Page:

Case Study Resources

Vermont's wildlife populations have fluctuated through time, but they are still a notable presence in our communities. Today Vermont is home to 62 species of mammals, 237 species of birds, over 80 species of fish and countless invertebrates. It is common to assume that wildlife habitat is restricted to the forest or other wild place, and while

Snow geese in Addison County, VT

it is true that most animals have adapted to specific natural environments, this does not mean that there is not good potential wildlife habitat all around us. In fact many animals, large and small, live and move seamlessly through our villages, towns and cities. An over grown back yard can be home to dozens of voles, and your porch eve may be a phoebe's favorite nesting spot. As we learn to identify the resources that are important to wildlife, we see more clearly the relationship between the cultural and natural environment.

Scarlet tanager

As you explore your landscape, think like an animal. How are food, shelter and water connected in your habitat? How do cultural features break up or enhance the habitat? It's important to think of your landscape at the appropriate scales as well. For example, by the time a juvenile tree swallow reaches the end of its first summer it has explored all of the power line perches, shallow pools of water and wheat fields in its territory. It glides effortlessly over highways and rivers, and by early fall it is ready to leave its parent's home territory and head south for the winter. A red-backed vole born in the same pasture as the swallow is not so lucky. As it grows to maturity and wanders further away from its natal territory, it will encounter many of the same landscape features as the swallow, but with more dire consequences. At worst it will not survive the dangerous four-lane highway, irrigation ditch, and mowed power line, at best it will be forced to share limited habitat and resources with its parents and siblings.

Moose

We could study the effects of development and fragmentation on every single organism on our community, but most wildlife biologists work with just a few focal species within an area. There are a few ways that information about just one species can tell you about many of the other animals in your community. Top predators such as wolf and bobcat are known as keystone species because they control the entire food chain below them, from deer and rabbits, to trees and herbs. Other species such as bear or wolverine require large areas of high quality habitat. A decline in these populations often signals the early effects of fragmentation, while an increase could indicate a broad scale regeneration of habitat.

As you learn about the wildlife species in your community, remember that with few exceptions, their welfare is intimately connected to your town's development and conservation strategies. Find out how certain populations have changed over time, and see if you can discover what they are responding to. Some animals such as white tailed deer do very well in agricultural areas where there is abundant edge habitat and palatable vegetation. Others such as river otters, will only survive in a forested riparian habitat. Land use strategies dramatically impact animal populations, but look for other forms of human impact as well such as pollution or over (and under) harvesting of game species.

Shelburne's Wildlife Habitat

Shelburne Pond

The diversity plant communities and landforms, along with an abundance of water, make the landscape of Shelburne suitable habitat for a diversity of wildlife species. An experienced team of birders, for example, can expect to detect over 100 bird species during the peak of migration in late May. The upland forests provide breeding habitat for a colorful suite of wood warblers migrating north from Central and South America, while the wetlands around Shelburne Pond and the mouth of the LaPlatte River attract a range of waterfowl and marsh birds, including the elusive Virginia rail and American bittern.

The areas in close proximity to Shelburne Pond also tend to provide excellent habitat for reptiles and amphibians that are otherwise rare in the state, such as the northern water snake and four-toed salamander. The LaPlatte River also functions an important travel corridor for many species, including black bear and moose - both of which have been encountered there in the recent past.

While fragmenting the habitat of certain wildlife species, the extensive grasslands and forest edges associated with the cultural landscape of the town actually improve the habitat suitability for species such as bobolink, savannah sparrow, indigo bunting, and white-tailed deer.