Illustrations

Habitat is “the physical and biological surroundings of an organism. ” Good wildlife habitat supplies all the elements an animal needs for survival. These elements include food, cover, water, and space. However, each animal varies in its requirement of these elements. When wildlife biologists and managers design programs to improve wildlife habitat, they take into account all the plants and animals that may be affected by their decisions. Wildlife populations in forested habitats are dynamic because the forest is always changing. Plant succession, or the gradual replacement of one plant community with another, is an important aspect of wildlife habitat. Every successional plant stage, or habitat type, has a specific community of animals associated with it. Close relationships among animals and environments illustrate how alterations to the habitat dramatically affect wildlife populations. This publication provides basic information about wildlife ecology and presents ideas on improving forested habitats for wildlife. A Brief History Before the 1960s, wildlife management focused primarily on maintaining game animals, such as deer, elk, an