Chapter 2: Wildlife Conservation
Habitat Management

Water

Cover

Food

The need for food and water is obvious.

Cover is not only needed as shelter from the elements and predators, but it’s also necessary to protect animals while they are feeding, breeding, roosting, nesting, and traveling. Cover can range from thick weeds and brush to a few rocks piled together.

Space is necessary to avoid over-competition for food. Some animals also need a certain amount of territorial space for mating and nesting. When crowded, some species may develop stress-related diseases.

Arrangement refers to the placement of food, water, cover, and space in a habitat. The ideal arrangement allows animals to meet all of their needs in a small area so that they minimize the energy they use traveling from food to cover to water.

For example, quail will spend much of their time where shrub and grassland areas converge. This is called edge effect. Edge effects can be in the form of topographical or vegetation edge such as the saddle of a mountain range. Most animals can be found where food and cover meet, particularly near a water source. River bottoms are ideal, offering many animals all their habitat needs along one corridor.

Space and Arrangement

Before Urban Development

After Urban Development

Beneficial Habitat Management Practices

• Food plots and planting
• Controlled burning
• Brush pile creation
• Timber cutting
• Pruning/thinning
• Ditching
• Diking/levee creation

• Nuisance plant or animal control
• Mechanical brush or grass control
• Water holdings
• Soil enhancement (fertilizing and liming)
• Wetland creation
• Stream restoration
• Nest box creation