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LESSONS for LANDOWNERS: Smart stewardship of your wildlife habitat

Posted on: Thursday, 4 December 2003, 06:00 CST

Private landowners have a tremendous opportunity to affect the future of Illinois wildlife populations. This is why the new book, "Creating Habitats and Homes for Illinois Wildlife," focuses on introducing private property owners to the concepts of stewardship, enhancement and restoration of wildlife habitat that they may own.

Authors Debbie Scott Newman, Richard E. Warner and Phil C. Mankin point out that while government entities own 750,000 acres of wildlife habitat in various parts of Illinois, 95 percent of the state's 35 million acres is privately owned.

"Whether you own one acre or one thousand, the decisions you make and the actions you take regarding your property affect the non- human species that reside or visit there," the authors write.

And those decisions are all about being a good neighbor to the 58 species of mammals, 383 different resident or migrant birds, 104 reptiles and amphibians and around 27,000 types of insects, mussels and other invertebrates that share Illinois with the state's 12 million people.

"Private landowners hold the key to the future of Illinois wildlife," they say.

Color photographs of Illinois flora and fauna, along with descriptive shots of various habitat types by Michael Jeffords and Richard Day will be worth the price of the book for many.

The book's language is aimed at the private citizen who is not a biologist. Anyone with an interest in nature will find this book useful and interesting. Scientific terms are used sparingly. When it is necessary for the writers to use specific terms, a definition follows immediately.

The book's first chapter starts with a historical perspective, describing how people have affected the landscape since Europeans first arrived. The next chapter defines ecological concepts and explains how natural systems work.

Chapters three through eight describe different types of habitats and how landowners can maximize their ability to attract, shelter and feed wildlife.

Chapters on prairies, woodlands, wetlands, croplands and even small habitats like brush piles are included. Chapter eight addresses the back yard for those who have limited space.

Planning habitat restorations and caring for them in the long run are addressed in the final chapters.

Landowner profiles by Susan L. Post help connect readers to real people who have found a habitat plan that has been successfully carried out on their property.

The book also includes useful perspective for those new to the process. The authors are cautious to explain that a given piece of land has a certain "carrying capacity," and that certain factors, such as a lack of nesting sites, can keep a habitat from living up to its full potential.

"Some landowners become disappointed that habitat development or enhancement doesn't produce immediate results," they write. "The reason is probably a missing habitat element or an unapparent limiting factor that has prevented the local population from expanding into the landowner's 'new' habitat."

Knowing and understanding these limitations will help prevent those new to the process from becoming discouraged.

Despite providing complete advice and reference material, the authors point out that preserving existing wildlife habitat is always preferable to creating new habitat from scratch.

"Given the lengthy time it takes to re-create mature communities, especially the forested types, it should always be a priority to preserve those that already exist."

"Creating Habitats and Homes for Illinois Wildlife" by Debbie Scott Newman, Richard E. Warner and Phil C. Mankin; landowner profiles by Susan L. Post; photographs by Michael Jeffords and Richard Day. Published by the University of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; 212 pages.

The $25 book is available from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Gift Shop, 782-1687.

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