Happy National Forest Products Week! 🌲🪵📃📦
Why on Earth would we celebrate this occasion? It is well known that quail in savannah ecosystems rely on quality forest management. Thinning, prescribed fire, and ground disturbance through tree harvest are critical to keep quail on the ground in forested systems. Commercially thinned forests can promote healthy habitat by allowing sunlight to reach the ground which creates a healthy herbaceous understory community.
The timber market in the Southeast contributes to frequent habitat maintenance for quail. When one stand becomes unsuitable habitat (tree canopy closes in as trees grow), another nearby area may become suitable habitat through commercial thinning or clearcutting. If a private landowner wants to grow a quail population, their main obstacle is usually habitat. Active forest management ensures the birds who are already there or nearby persist on the landscape.
While this industry creates benefits for quail, it also sustains millions of jobs, builds communities, provides essential materials and reduces wildfire risks. Quail Forever team members are committed to ensuring forest management continues to benefit our favorite birds and rural communities who depend on this crucial industry.
#quailforever #thehabitatorganization
