July 15, 2015 at 2:11 pm
Text and photo by Leigh (Eric) Hoar, Assistant Regional Biologist/Lands Management
Jamie’s Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is an 800 acre upland parcel surrounding a 100 acre cold water fishery in the towns of Farmingdale, Hallowell and Manchester which the Department began to acquire in 1991 through Land for Maine’s Future and various gifts. Access to the area is from both the Meadow Hill and Collins Roads in Manchester, and from the Outlet Road in Hallowell. Nearly three quarters of the WMAs forest is dominated by mixed hardwood species, some of which are dominated by aspen. These aspen dominated areas represent an opportunity to manage for a whole host of wildlife species that use young forests, particularly grouse and woodcock. “Early successional habitat” is the term commonly used to describe young forests. As fields in southern Maine have grown up over the course of the last 100 years, early successional habitat has been in steady decline and the Jamie’s Pond WMA represents an opportunity to develop a management approach to create a more diverse array of habitats.
Upland game bird management has been of increasing interest to the public in recent years and the Jamie’s Pond WMA represents an opportunity to develop a greater early successional habitat component, preferred by grouse and woodcock, than currently exists. An early successional structure is short lived in nature and is characterized by species which are intolerant of shade and grow rapidly. Aspen is an early successional tree species and is particularly desirable because suckers emerge from the roots following a disturbance (in this instance, timber harvesting), and grow as dense thickets providing cover for grouse and woodcock. Timber harvesting will occur in the form of patch cuts over a small portion of the aspen-dominate hardwood type. Grouse and woodcock both have similar cover requirements for portions of their life cycles and will benefit from these patches as they begin to regenerate. Non-game bird species which will benefit from habitat in patches include: the thrushes (Swainson’s, hermit, wood and veerys), indigo bunting, towhee, northern harrier and short-eared owl.
Click HERE for a map of Jamie's Pond Wildlife Management Area
Jamie’s Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is an 800 acre upland parcel surrounding a 100 acre cold water fishery in the towns of Farmingdale, Hallowell and Manchester which the Department began to acquire in 1991 through Land for Maine’s Future and various gifts. Access to the area is from both the Meadow Hill and Collins Roads in Manchester, and from the Outlet Road in Hallowell. Nearly three quarters of the WMAs forest is dominated by mixed hardwood species, some of which are dominated by aspen. These aspen dominated areas represent an opportunity to manage for a whole host of wildlife species that use young forests, particularly grouse and woodcock. “Early successional habitat” is the term commonly used to describe young forests. As fields in southern Maine have grown up over the course of the last 100 years, early successional habitat has been in steady decline and the Jamie’s Pond WMA represents an opportunity to develop a management approach to create a more diverse array of habitats.
Upland game bird management has been of increasing interest to the public in recent years and the Jamie’s Pond WMA represents an opportunity to develop a greater early successional habitat component, preferred by grouse and woodcock, than currently exists. An early successional structure is short lived in nature and is characterized by species which are intolerant of shade and grow rapidly. Aspen is an early successional tree species and is particularly desirable because suckers emerge from the roots following a disturbance (in this instance, timber harvesting), and grow as dense thickets providing cover for grouse and woodcock. Timber harvesting will occur in the form of patch cuts over a small portion of the aspen-dominate hardwood type. Grouse and woodcock both have similar cover requirements for portions of their life cycles and will benefit from these patches as they begin to regenerate. Non-game bird species which will benefit from habitat in patches include: the thrushes (Swainson’s, hermit, wood and veerys), indigo bunting, towhee, northern harrier and short-eared owl.
Click HERE for a map of Jamie's Pond Wildlife Management AreaCategories