The Woods in Your Backyard promotes the stewardship of small parcels of land for the personal enjoyment of the owners and improved environmental quality for society. This book is geared towards owners of 1-10 acres of land that is forested or has unmowed natural areas and to owners interested in turning mowed lawn area into a forest.

Available Now
Book Number:  NRAES-184
Cost:  $18.00
Length:  138 Pages
Date of Publication:  September 2006
ISBN-13:   978-1-933395-10-4
ISBN-10:  1-933395-10-9

Authors:

• Jonathan Kays
• Joy Drohan
• Adam Downing
• Jim Finley

The first four parts (Introduction, Inventory Your Property, Ecological Principles, and Put Your Knowledge into Practice) describe concepts necessary to fulfill land management goals for your property. Part five is a workbook with blank activity sheets designed to apply the lessons in parts I-IV to your own land. Includes color photographs throughout. Also includes a list of resources, a glossary, and an index.

Table of Contents

• Part I: Introduction
  • Lesson 1: Identify Your Interests in the Land
  • Case Study: The Nelsons
  • Lesson 2: Reality Check: Is Your Family with You?
  • Lesson 3: Interests Table
  • Lesson 4: Constraints to Land Management
• Part II: Inventory Your Property
  • Lesson 1: Your Place in the Landscape
  • Lesson 2: The Concept of Land Management Units
  • Lesson 3: Identify the Trees and Shrubs on Your Land
• Part III: Ecological Principles
  • Lesson 1: The Dynamic Natural Area: Principles of Succession
  • Lesson 2: Principles of Forestry
  • Lesson 3: Water Resources and Your Natural Area
  • Lesson 4: Introduction to Wildlife Ecology
• Part IV: Put Your Knowledge into Practice
  • Lesson 1: Recreation Potential
  • Lesson 2: Aesthetic Potential
  • Lesson 3: Choosing Projects for Your Natural Area
  • Lesson 4: Land Management Techniques
    • Best Management Practices
    • Brush Piles
    • Creating a Natural Haven or Campfire/Camping Area
    • Creating an Opening
    • Crop Tree Release
    • Firewood Cutting
    • Food Plots
    • Girdling to Kill Unwanted Trees and Create Snags
    • Herbicide Application for Control of Exotic/Invasive Plants
    • Mast Trees
    • Mowing
    • Planting Trees or Shrubs
    • Pruning
    • Removing Grapevines
    • Streamside Stabilization through Planting
    • Thinning
    • Timber Stand Improvement
    • Trail and Road Design
    • Trail and Road Design -- Wet Areas
    • Trail and Road Drainage
    • Trail and Road Maintenance
  • Lesson 5: Make a Timetable and Spell Out the Details
  • Lesson 6: Record Your Progress
• Part V: Workbook
  • Introduction
  • Activity 1: Map It Out
  • Activity 2: What Have You Got and What Do You Want?
  • Activity 3: Family Goals Assessment
  • Activity 4: Identify Your Interests in the Land
  • Activity 5: Investigate the Legal Constraints on Your Land
  • Activity 6: Beyond Your Boundaries
  • Activity 7: Designate Land Management Units
  • Activity 8: Get to Know Your Trees
  • Activity 9: Identify Successional Stages
  • Activity 10: Assess Competition among Trees
  • Activity 11: Assess Tree Reproduction
  • Activity 12: Survey for Broken and Dead Trees
  • Activity 13: Assess Invasive and Exotic Plants
  • Activity 14: Water Resources around You
  • Activity 15: Habitat Elements on Your Land
  • Activity 16: Assess Your Natural Areas Suitability for Recreation
  • Activity 17: How Could You Improve Your Natural Areas Aesthetic Appeal?
  • Activity 18: Identify and Rank Your Objectives
  • Activity 19: Project Schedule and Details
  • Activity 20: Record Your Progress
  • Case Study: The Lees
  • Case Study: The Rothmans
• Appendices
  • Appendix A: Summary of Some Characteristics of Important Tree Species in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Region
  • Appendix B: Relative Value of Various Tree Species as Wildlife Food
  • Appendix C: Basic Habitat Requirements, Food Sources, and Management Opportunities for Common Kinds of Wildlife, Eastern United States
  • Appendix D: Tree and Shrub Uses and Site Requirements, Eastern United States
• Resources
• Glossary
• Index