Opening a curtain that allows sunlight to filter through is a true delight for all of us. Wildlife species adapted to grassland and scrublands probably enjoy those same delights when an area of mature timber is harvested. Sunlight abounds; plant andanimal communities come alive with the change. The biodiversity, both flora and fauna, of the area explodes. These new forest openings will play an integral role in providing the basic needs of wildlife: food, water, shelter and cover. Nature abhors a vacuum; an opportunistic or specialized species, either plant or animal, will thrive on any available niche in the landscape (e.g., dandelions or crabgrass in your lawn). Early-successional vegetation is the title bestowed upon the first group of plants to colonize harvested timberland and other landscape openings. Each subsequent stage of succession only adds to the biodiversity of an area. If all our forests were retained as mature forest, the biodiversity that most wildlife species so sorely need would be minimal and representative of only one habitat type. A mosaic of habitats is required for wildlife richness.
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