Have you. The Woods and Wildlife Connection. VOL. 10, issue 1

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1 rob hanson photo cc2 / creativecommons.org dave foc / creativecommons.org pgc / hal korber photo pgc photo VOL. 10, issue 1 The Woods and Wildlife Connection Have you ever noticed that New Hampshire has a lot of trees? New Hampshire is about eighty-two percent forested. Throughout history, trees have served important purposes for both people and wildlife. You use wood products like paper, pencils and furniture in your daily life. Trees provide wildlife with components of their habitat, too. Oaks, for example, produce acorns that are food for squirrels, deer, wild turkeys and blue jays, as well as providing places for squirrels and birds to nest. Not only are there lots of trees in New Hampshire, depending upon where you are, there are different kinds of trees. Trees grow based on the soil, weather conditions (climate) and landforms (topography). We identify trees by looking at things like their shape, whether they have leaves or needles, and what their bark looks like. james kucinskas / dreamstime.com

2 Forest communities are named by the combination of trees that grow together. Some forests only have evergreen trees trees that stay green year round. Other forests have deciduous trees, which lose their leaves in the fall. Still others have both. They can range in size from an area the size of a football field to thousands of acres. Here are three common natural forest communities and a sampling of animals that make these places their home. Spruce Fir Forest Red spruce and balsam fir forests are found growing in northern parts of the state and on mountainsides. As you climb a mountain, you will find dense stands of spruce and fir on steep rocky slopes where the soil is shallow. The other place you ll see spruce and fir growing is near streams, swamps and bogs areas where water does not drain well from the soil. j. carmichael cc2 / creativecommons.org The purple finch is the state bird of New Hampshire. It feeds primarily on buds and seeds. Needles on red spruce are short, four sided and sharply pointed. aneta kaluzna cc2 / creativecommons.org Balsam fir needles are short, flat and blunt. The needles are soft and fragrant when cut. usfws American marten, also known as pine marten, is an endangered species in New Hampshire. They spend a lot of time in trees and eat a variety of small mammals, like red squirrels, mice and voles, as well as birds. usfws

3 Northern Hardwoods: Maple-Beech-Birch People from all over the world come to New Hampshire to see the brilliant fall colors. The northern hardwoods, a mix of primarily sugar maple, yellow birch and American beech, are responsible for this color. Found in central New Hampshire up to 2,500 feet in elevation, northern hardwoods grow on loamy, well-drained soils. ron chapple studios / dreamstime.com Sugar maples can grow to be 80 feet high and 3 feet in diameter. mdf / creativecommons.org darren green / dreamstime.com Black-throated blue warblers primarily forage (look for) insects in the understory. Nests are two feet off the ground in deciduous shrubs. American beech have small triangular nuts enclosed in a soft, prickly burr. greatberr / dreamstime.com The black bear s diet varies from spring to fall, based upon the food that is available. Beechnuts, rich in fat, are an important fall food. pgc / hal korber photo

4 White Pine - Northern Red Oak Forest In the southern part of New Hampshire, red oak and white pine are commonly seen growing together on well-drained soils. This forest type is common in the transition zone between the northern hardwoods and the central hardwoods found in southern New England. steven katovich / USDAFS bugwood.org Northern red oaks begin to produce acorns when they are twenty-five years old. Valued for their lumber, white pine can grow to a height of 200 feet. It takes two years for its cone to mature and drop its seed. john white Northern redbelly snakes are found on forested upland ridges under rotting wood. Travelling in flocks, wild turkey feed on acorns and other nuts during the fall and winter. henry zeman photo / wtf joseph o brian / USDAFS bugwood.org

5 Name That Tree Have you ever wondered how you can tell different species apart? A dichotomous key gives you choices that lead you to the answer. Find an evergreen tree with needles and try to identify it using the dichotomous key: If the needles are singular go to 1 If the needles are in bundles or tufts, go to 2 1 If the needles are stiff, sharp, 4-sided (can be twirled between the thumb and finger) and leave the twig rough when they fall off, go to 1a 2 If there are five needles in a bundle White Pine If there are three needles in a bundle Pitch Pine If the needles are flat and can be easily bent go to 1b If there are two needles in a bundle Red Pine 1a If the needles are blue-green and the twigs hairless White Spruce 1b If the needles have broad bases and leave the twig smooth when they fall off Balsam Fir If the needles are ½ inch or more and the twigs and buds are hairy Red Spruce If needles are about ½- inch long, have a narrow base and leave the twig rough when they fall off Eastern Hemlock

6 All you need is a partner, string, ruler, paper, pencil, meter stick and a tree to figure out the height of a tree. 1. Have your partner stand at the base of the tree. 2. Back away from the tree, holding your ruler in front of you in a vertical position. Keep your arm straight. Stop when the tree and the ruler appear to be the same size. (Close one eye to help you line it up.) 3. Turn your wrist so that the ruler looks level to the ground and is in a horizontal position. Keep your arm straight. 4. Have your partner walk to the spot that you see as the top of the ruler. Be sure the base of the ruler is kept at the base of the tree. 5. Measure how many meters he or she walked. That is the tree s height. Round to the nearest meter and record your answer. This program receives Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the Education Amendments of The U.S. Department of the Interior and its bureaus prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion or sex (in educational programs). If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility, or if you desire additional information, please write to: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office for Diversity and Civil Rights Programs External Affairs 4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 130, Arlington, VA Wild Times for Kids is published twice a year by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Multiple copies are available for schools and youth groups upon request. Send your request to: N.H. Fish and Game Department, Public Affairs Division 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH l Support for this Wild Times provided by: Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire N.H. Department of Education through Math Science Partnership and State Literacy Plan N.H. Fish and Game Department Conserving New Hampshire s wildlife and their habitats for over a century N.H. Fish and Game Dept. PUB09005A