Habitat and Wildlife Management

Subtopics

Library Items

2015-2025 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan

2015
Organizations/Sources: Pennsylvania Game Commission
The 2015 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan is a non-regulatory, proactive conservation blueprint to prevent Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) from requiring federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. This approach helps reduce the costs of fish and wildlife management by decreasing expensive recoveries of species in need of critical care.
Last Modified
Aug 04, 2020
Viewed
1379 times

Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas (Fact Sheets)

Organizations/Sources: National Park Service
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
4026 times

Backyard Conservation: Bringing Conservation From the Countryside to Your Backyard

2007
Whether you have rural acreage, a suburban yard, or a city lot, you can help protect the environment and add beauty and interest to your surroundings. “Backyard Conservation" shows how conservation practices that help conserve and improve natural resources on agricultural land across the country can be adapted for use around the home. Most backyard conservation practices are easy to use and these 10 conservation practices help the environment and can make your yard more attractive and enjoyable.
Last Modified
Aug 15, 2011
Viewed
5186 times

Best Management Practices for Pennsylvania Forests

This publication promotes forest stewardship through education, cooperation, and voluntary action
Last Modified
Feb 21, 2014
Viewed
3952 times

Biodiversity: A Guide

2012
Authors: Elana Richman
Biodiversity encompasses the diversity of life – the varying and different species, genes, and ecosystems of the Earth. The ongoing loss of biodiversity threatens human well-being and makes the need for conservation ever more pressing.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
5082 times

Biodiversity Guidance for Solar Developments

2014
This document provides guidance to planners and the solar industry on how they can support biodiversity on solar farms.
Last Modified
Mar 25, 2019
Viewed
1594 times

Bird Research and Conservation

2017
Authors: Nate Lotze
Initiatives in Pennsylvania and on a national level promote the study of bird populations and the protection of their habitat.
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
3400 times

Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (Updated and Expanded)

2007
In simple terms, this book connects the dots and makes it clear that increasing native insect biomass with native plants is the glue that holds together the web of life in the homemade habitat. Available at most book retail sources.
Last Modified
Oct 20, 2009
Viewed
4403 times

Caring for Land Trust Properties

2009
Authors: Paul Lumia
Presentation regarding stewardship of conserved properties.
Last Modified
Oct 18, 2009
Viewed
3401 times

Conserving Biological Diversity in Agricultural/Forestry Systems

1992
Organizations/Sources: BioScience
Both high agricultural productivity and human health depend on the activity of a diverse natural biota and although efforts to curb the loss of biodiversity have intensified in recent years, they have not kept pace with the growing encroachment of human activities. An example of the economic benefits described is, $20 billion year spent worldwide on pesticides, but parasites and predators existing in natural ecosystems provide an estimated five to ten times this amount of the pest control, and without the existence of natural enemies, crop losses by pests in agriculture and forestry would be catastrophic and costs of chemical pest controls would escalate enormously.
Last Modified
Jun 21, 2019
Viewed
7837 times

Considering Leasing Contracts for CRP Trees

Summary of lease options and considerations of landowners for use when their conservation reserve contract expires.
Last Modified
Feb 21, 2014
Viewed
4166 times

Dead Wood for Wildlife

2008
This fact sheet discusses how dead parts of live trees and dead trees, whether standing (snags) or fallen (logs), are particularly important resources.
Last Modified
Oct 04, 2011
Viewed
3837 times

Deer Hunting Public Notice

2015
Sample public notice notifying the public of an authorized deer hunt on borough-owned parkland.
Last Modified
Jul 01, 2019
Viewed
1135 times

Deer Management FAQ

2010
Questions and answers about deer management from a public meeting convened by the Rose Valley Environmental Advisory Council to educate borough residents.
Last Modified
Jul 01, 2019
Viewed
1149 times

Deer Management Options

2008
Organizations/Sources: Natural Lands Trust
fact sheet on deer management options
Last Modified
Aug 21, 2018
Viewed
5750 times

Environmentally Friendly Lawn

2007
Organizations/Sources: Natural Lands Trust
fact sheet on environmentally friendly lawn
Last Modified
Aug 21, 2018
Viewed
4727 times

Fatal Light Awareness Program

Organizations/Sources: Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP)
The Fatal Light Awareness Program works to safeguard migratory birds in the urban environment through education, research, rescue and rehabilitation.
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
4617 times

Federal Noxious Weed Database

Last Modified
Aug 13, 2013
Viewed
3840 times

Forest *A* Syst

Authors: Rick Hamilton
A self-assessment guide for managing your forest for timber production, wildlife, recreation & aesthetics and water quality.
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
4169 times

Forest Management Alternatives for Landowners

This publication will explain many of the forestry alternatives available to you. A forester can help you choose the forestry practices best suited to your timberlands, but you must make the business and financial decisions.
Last Modified
Aug 20, 2018
Viewed
4171 times

Forest Stewardship: Our Link to the Past—Our Legacy to the Future

2014
This publication discusses private forest owners role in land stewardship, offering a look at the history of Pennsylvania's privately owned forest land and strategies for managing a healthy forest legacy for the future.
Last Modified
Aug 20, 2018
Viewed
3672 times

Game Commission Wind Energy Web Page

Organizations/Sources: Pennsylvania Game Commission
Game Commission web page with wind energy resources, including the second wind energy summary report through June 2010.
Last Modified
Mar 14, 2014
Viewed
4119 times

GreenInfrastructure.Net

The Mission of GreenInfrastructure.Net is to illustrate that identifying and planning for multi-purpose green space networks rather than on protection of isolated properties dramatically increases the environmental, economic, and health benefits of land conservation. It shows through description, examples, and links to numerous resources how thoughtful conservation planning can provide a framework for smart conservation and smart growth.
Last Modified
Feb 21, 2014
Viewed
5023 times

Guidelines to Minimize the Impact of Birds of Solar Facilities and Associated Infrastructure

Guidelines for the design and construction of solar farms to minimize negative impacts on bird populations.
Last Modified
Mar 26, 2019
Viewed
1329 times

Important Bird Area Conservation Plans

Organizations/Sources: Audubon Pennsylvania
This site includes all completed IBA conservation plans in Pennsylvania, along with land cover and wetland maps and IBA acreage statistics.
Last Modified
Mar 20, 2017
Viewed
5570 times

Important Bird Areas Brochure

Organizations/Sources: Audubon Pennsylvania
This two-page brochure gives a brief overview of the IBA program in the United States, including achievements of the program nationwide.
Last Modified
Mar 20, 2017
Viewed
5377 times

Important Bird Areas Program, National Audubon Society

Organizations/Sources: Audubon Society
This website describes the National Audubon Society's Important Bird Areas program.
Last Modified
Mar 20, 2017
Viewed
4795 times

Invasive Exotic Plants In Pennsylvania List

The primary purpose of this list is to identify those plants that are invasive and cause damage to native plant communities. The intention is to foster early detection so that land managers can implement management actions to prevent exotics from becoming established. It is also intended to educate land managers and the public in an effort to eliminate the use of invasives in landscaping, restoration and enhancement projects.
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
4514 times

Invasive Plants Field & Reference Guide

An Ecological Perspective of Plant Invaders of Forests & Woodlands. The purpose of this particular field guide is to give a scientific synthesis of what is known about the behavior of such species in managed, disturbed, and pristine forested systems in addition to key information for accurate identification.
Last Modified
Oct 15, 2009
Viewed
3483 times

Landscaping with Native Plants in the Mid-Atlantic Region, 2nd edition

2004
Organizations/Sources: Brandywine Conservancy
Manual for gardening with native plants for the Middle-Atlantic region.
Last Modified
Aug 15, 2011
Viewed
5036 times

Life. Nature. The Public. Making the Connection: A Biodiversity Communications Handbook

1999
A publication of the Biodiversity Project
Last Modified
Jul 03, 2019
Viewed
3333 times

Managing Deer for Ecosystem Health Fact Sheet

2010
Organizations/Sources: Audubon Pennsylvania
Two-page deer management guide for landowners including information on predator-prey balance and tools and options available to private landholders.
Last Modified
Apr 12, 2011
Viewed
4005 times

Managing White-tailed Deer in Forest Habitat

2005
Organizations/Sources: Audubon Pennsylvania
Convened by Audubon Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Habitat Alliance to compile and examine the pertinent research, enlist other expertise, weigh the issues, and set forth a vision of what ecosystem-based deer management might entail in large forested areas of the eastern United States, using Pennsylvania as an example.
Last Modified
May 29, 2019
Viewed
3875 times

Meadows in Southeastern Pennsylvania

2007
Organizations/Sources: Natural Lands Trust
fact sheet
Last Modified
Aug 21, 2018
Viewed
4634 times

Model Grant of Access Easement for Environmental Stewardship with Commentary, 2nd edition

2019
This model legal document is used to ensure the easement holder's continued access to a property to undertake AMD remediation or other environmental restoration and stewardship projects. Be sure to download the commentary.
Last Modified
Feb 19, 2019
Viewed
10492 times

More Wildlife on Your Land: A Guide for Private Landowners

2002
Authors: Neil F. Payne
This handy book is full of great information geared to landowners with large acreage and/or working land (agricultural or ranch) who would like to provide for and protect wildlife.
Last Modified
Mar 23, 2011
Viewed
3773 times

National Audubon Society North America Birdfeeder Guide

2005
Organizations/Sources: Audubon Society
This is an extensive guide to attracting and observing backyard birds. It explains how to plant a bird-friendly garden, understand bird behavior and identify common North American backyard birds. It includes ample information on attracting birds, with tips on installing hanging birdfeeders, deterring unwanted visitors, arranging ground feeders, building feeders, choosing bird food and setting up bird baths.
Last Modified
Mar 23, 2011
Viewed
4128 times

Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

2007
Organizations/Sources: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
A book full of colorful photographs that profiles common invasive plants (national) and the native alternatives to take their place.
Last Modified
Mar 23, 2011
Viewed
4622 times

Native Trees & Shrubs and their Wildlife Users

Organizations/Sources: Natural Lands Trust
Last Modified
Oct 16, 2009
Viewed
3719 times

NatureServe website

Organizations/Sources: NatureServe
Providing a scientific basis for effective conservation, NatureServe and its network of natural heritage programs are the trusted source for information about rare and endangered species and threatened ecosystems.
Last Modified
Aug 13, 2010
Viewed
4395 times

Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of our Own Backyards

1993
Authors: Sara B. Stein
A beautifully written examination of why restoring habitat on our properties is so important and how it can replace traditional landscaping practices which create a disconnect. If nothing else, read the first 100 pages and you will have a new perspective on your yard. Available on retail book websites, some retail book locations, and at some nature centers.
Last Modified
Oct 14, 2009
Viewed
3457 times

PA Trees.org

Organizations/Sources: Penn State University
This site was created as a place to learn about Pennsylvania’s trees, how to care for them, and tap into tree expertise across the Commonwealth. It is designed to help answer many of your questions.
Last Modified
May 04, 2011
Viewed
4030 times

PATrees.org

Organizations/Sources: Penn State Cooperative Extension
Information the care of trees and forests. Includes answers to many questions regarding planting, health, diseases, finding assistance, etc.
Last Modified
Oct 18, 2009
Viewed
4931 times

Pennsylvania Community Forests Publications

Organizations/Sources: Pennsylvania Community Forests
This website provides links and ordering information for multiple publications (some free) on forestry programs and tree care under the "Publications & Resources" menu.
Last Modified
Oct 14, 2015
Viewed
4579 times

Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) website

Organizations/Sources: Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program
The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) provides current, reliable, objective, accessible information on Pennsylvania’s ecological resources to help inform environmental, economic, and land use decisions.
Last Modified
Jul 18, 2012
Viewed
4891 times

Pennsylvania Seasonal Pools Registry

Organizations/Sources: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
This website provides information on how to find seasonal pools, identify the animals you may encounter, and register the pool once you have confirmed that it is seasonal rather than permanent in nature.
Last Modified
Oct 14, 2009
Viewed
4203 times

Pennsylvania's Mowing Calculator

2016
This calculator has been created for public and private land owners who regularly care for lawns. This tool calculates fuel, dollar, greenhouse gas (GHG), and other savings associated with changing current mowing practices.
Last Modified
Jul 14, 2016
Viewed
3193 times

Planning for Grassland Birds Fact Sheet

2010
Organizations/Sources: Audubon Pennsylvania
Two-page fact sheet for landowners, planners, and others to maintain grassland birds, which have declined in recent years. Information covers causes of decline, importance of agricultural lands, amount of land needed for nesting, and what landowners and planners can do to help.
Last Modified
Apr 12, 2011
Viewed
4275 times

Plant Disturbance Ecology

2007
This book includes chapters on the disturbance processes, how the disturbance causes necrosis or death to individuals, and their effects on population or community processes.
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
4315 times

Planting Noah’s Garden: Further Adventures in Backyard Ecology

1997
Authors: Sara B. Stein
The follow-up to Noah’s Garden, the how-to’s on welcoming life back into the yard. Available on retail book websites, some retail book locations, and at some nature centers.
Last Modified
Oct 14, 2009
Viewed
4063 times

Plant Invaders: The Threat to Natural Ecosystems

2001
The manual presents a detailed overview of invasion biology and history as well as methods for establishing control efforts. Generalizations about invaders are derived from the literature and a suite of species that have affected several locations, most notably, South Africa, Australasia, Mauritius, and Hawaii. Species invasive in Europe, North America, and elsewhere are also included.
Last Modified
Oct 18, 2009
Viewed
3902 times

Plants for Beneficial Insects

Organizations/Sources: Audubon Society
Last Modified
Mar 09, 2011
Viewed
3800 times

Predicting Invasions of Nonindigenous Plants and Plant Pests

2002
Organizations/Sources: National Academy of Sciences
The book analyzes the factors that shape an invader s progress through four stages: arriving through one of many possible ports of entry, reaching a threshold of survival, thriving through proliferation and geographic spread, and ultimate impact on the organism s new environment. The book also reviews approaches to predicting whether a species will become an invader as well as the more complex challenge of predicting and measuring its impact on the environment, a process involving value judgments and risk assessment. This detailed analysis will be of interest to policymakers, plant scientists, agricultural producers, environmentalists, and public agencies concerned with invasive plant and plant pest species.
Last Modified
Oct 18, 2009
Viewed
3574 times

Prioritizing Implementation of Important Bird Areas

2008
Authors: Bryan Byrnes and John Rogers
The Important Bird Area (IBA) Program in the United States has grown to include over 2100 sites (National Audubon Society 2008), leading to the inevitable challenge of how to advance conservation at numerous sites with limited resources.
Last Modified
May 29, 2019
Viewed
4554 times

Protecting Against Woolly Hemlock Adelgid Fact Sheet

2011
Authors: Kim Vanfleet
Two-page fact sheet on this aphid-like creature that feeds on hemlock trees. Information includes a description of the pest, its life history, and what landowners can do to help control and eliminate the woolly hemlock adelgid.
Last Modified
Apr 12, 2011
Viewed
4078 times

Suburban Homestead: A Primer on Best Practices and Management

2018
Organizations/Sources: Montgomery County Planning Commission
This guide is intended to provide municipal officials and interested local residents with a primer on residential agricultural land uses and how best to manage them. Residential agriculture, as defined by this guide, is any non-commercial small-scale farming for personal consumption that takes place on private residential property. The Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC) has noticed a local trend toward more diverse private residential land uses such as keeping bee hives and chicken coops. These uses carry with them concerns for public health and general well-being. However, when properly managed they can be beneficial to both the resident and community as a whole. There are many myths surrounding these uses, and this guide explains both the benefits and potential drawbacks of these practices.
Last Modified
Mar 11, 2019
Viewed
1937 times

Sustainable Forestry Fact Sheet

2011
Authors: Kim Vanfleet
Organizations/Sources: Audubon Pennsylvania
Two-page fact sheet about sustainable forestry for the benefit of birds and other wildlife. Information covers selective cutting, stewardship practices, composition of forest for nesting birds and forest health, and implementation tips.
Last Modified
Apr 12, 2011
Viewed
4109 times

Tennessee Exotic Plant Management Manual

1997
Organizations/Sources: Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council
The Tennessee Exotic Plant Management Manual was written to provide natural resource managers and others concerned about exotics a tool to help control and manage 20 of Tennessee's worst exotic pest plant problems. The Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council (TN-EPPC), established in 1994, identified as one of its first goals the production of such a management manual for our region.
Last Modified
Aug 11, 2010
Viewed
5380 times

Terrestrial & Palustrine Plant Communities of Pennsylvania

1999
Authors: Jean Fike
An in-depth breakdown of plant communities found in Pennsylvania specific to particular physiographic regions.
Last Modified
Oct 14, 2009
Viewed
4984 times

The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher

1999
Organizations/Sources: Audubon Society
The definitive guide to attracting birds includes plant profiles (across five regions of U.S.), bird diets, and planting recommendations.
Last Modified
Jul 18, 2012
Viewed
3532 times

The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds: Creating Natural Habitats for Properties Large and Small, Second Edition

2006
Authors: Stephen Kress
Organizations/Sources: Audubon Society
In a book long awaited by landscapers, birders, gardeners, and naturalists, Stephen W. Kress provides a practical, comprehensive, and thoroughly illustrated guide to attracting birds to any property, be it a small patch of land in the city or a showplace countryside garden, a median strip or an expansive woodlot, a commercial building or a community park.
Last Modified
Aug 15, 2011
Viewed
4045 times

The Dirty Dozen: PA's 12 Worst Invasives

Organizations/Sources: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Last Modified
Oct 16, 2009
Viewed
3504 times

The Plants of Pennsylvania

2000
The manual includes keys to families, genera, and species; extensive diagnostic illustrations; scientific and common names; and data on distribution ranges, relative frequency, rare and endangered species, blooming and fruiting periods; with taxonomic notes and an illustrated glossary. The information meticulously reflects the plants as represented in Pennsylvania and is derived from specimens collected within the state.
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
4265 times

The Stewardship Handbook for Natural Lands in Southeastern Pennsylvania

2008
Organizations/Sources: Natural Lands Trust
The Stewardship Handbook is a compilation of the knowledge gained from the organization’s four decades of experience managing its 20,000-acre network of nature preserves in the region. The 220-page book serves as a resource for professional land managers and planners as well as to homeowners seeking to adopt a greener approach to caring for their properties.
Last Modified
Jan 11, 2018
Viewed
6329 times

The Vascular Flora of Pennsylvania

1993
This volume is the first published product of the Pennsylvania Flora Database, created & maintained at the Morris Arboretum of the Univ. of Pennsylvania. The database has its roots in the work of Edgar T. Wherry, John M. Fogg, Jr., & Herbert A. Wahl, the “Atlas of the Flora of Pennsylvania”, published by the Morris Arboretum. Over a period of 40 years, Wherry & his colleagues gathered data from the major Pennsylvania herbaria & manually placed a quarter of a million dots on over 3500 maps. The Pennsylvania Flora Database retains the emphasis on specimen-based, site-specific data. The checklist of included taxa has undergone extensive review to reflect recent taxonomic & nomenclatural revisions. Questionable specimens have been re-evaluated with the result that several taxa included in earlier works were dropped. Recent discoveries have been added & distribution data has been updated. This vol. also includes collections made in the 1990s in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI), the state heritage program. The maps present the accumulated collection of information for each taxon as represented in the herbaria. Illus., reprinted 1996.
Last Modified
Jun 04, 2019
Viewed
5097 times

The Woods in Your Backyard: Learning to Create and Enhance Natural Areas Around Your Home

2006
A publication of the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service of the Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, NY. An excellent spiral bound workbook with reader-friendly information on land management, worksheets, and checklists including breakdown of trees and their relative wildlife value. Available here: http://www.nraes.org/
Last Modified
Oct 14, 2009
Viewed
4110 times

Timber Harvesting in Pennylvania - Information for Citizens and Local Government Officials

Complete primer for individuals and local government officials who have no knowledge of timber practices. Includes informative sections on forestry economics, products, management principles, an overview of state regulation, and how to deal with potential road damage. Of note in the Appendix are public and private resources and organizaitons offering forestry assistance here in the Commonwealth .
Last Modified
Jul 18, 2012
Viewed
3648 times

Timber Harvest Operations Field Guide For Waterways, Wetlands and Erosion Control

2007
Information to assist timber harvesters to prepare and implement soil erosion and sediment control plans, and to work around streams and wetlands. Experience has shown that most soil erosion problems originate with the improper layout or construction of skid trails, logging roads and landing areas. Therefore, the focus of this publication is to provide guidance and furnish specifications to properly design and implement an effective erosion and sediment control plan on a timber harvesting site.
Last Modified
Mar 16, 2012
Viewed
6579 times

Using Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program Data for Wind Energy Planning: A Manual for Townships

2009
Authors: M.L. Kuzemchak and B.W. Okey
This manual provides a model for incorporating existing ecological data gathered by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) into the development of a wind energy special purpose zone. This manual was developed as part of a research project sponsored by a grant from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
Last Modified
Aug 17, 2018
Viewed
4525 times

Weed Control Methods Handbook: Tools and Techniques for Use in Natural Areas

2001
Organizations/Sources: The Nature Conservancy
This handbook provides you with detailed information about the tools and techniques available for controlling invasive plants, or weeds, in natural areas. Whenever possible, language familiar to natural area managers is used, and unfamiliar terms and jargon borrowed from other fields are defined.
Last Modified
Mar 25, 2011
Viewed
7239 times

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Natural Heritage Program website

Organizations/Sources: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Describes the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s science initiatives under its Natural Heritage Program.
Last Modified
May 24, 2011
Viewed
4396 times

Why Permit Deer Hunting?

Flier explaining why the Rose Valley Environmental Advisory Council allows deer hunting in wildlife sanctuaries.
Last Modified
Jul 01, 2019
Viewed
1180 times

Wisconsin Manual of Control Recommendations for Ecologically Invasive Plants

1997
This manual summarizes the morphological characteristics, habitat requirements, life history, and possible methods of control for several common invasive plant species. Botanical terms used in the plant descriptions are not available on-line at this time. A reference section is included to acknowledge sources of information and to provide a reference to the literature addressing the problem of invasive species in Wisconsin. Sources for weed control tools, organizations, and other useful information are included in this section. Recommendations included here are limited to the control of some of the more problematic invasive plant species of Wisconsin. As control information on additional invasive species becomes available, and as users request information on other problem plants, these species may be added to the manual.
Last Modified
Oct 18, 2009
Viewed
9608 times