1 / 33

Managing a Pond for Wildlife

Managing a Pond for Wildlife. Gary J. Burtle Animal & Dairy Science, Tifton The University of Georgia, Ft. Valley State University and USDA Cooperating. Wildlife as a Goal. Share your pond with animals Provide plants as habitat Provide plants as food

julinka
Download Presentation

Managing a Pond for Wildlife

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Managing a Pond for Wildlife Gary J. Burtle Animal & Dairy Science, Tifton The University of Georgia, Ft. Valley State University and USDA Cooperating

  2. Wildlife as a Goal • Share your pond with animals • Provide plants as habitat • Provide plants as food • Encourage the process of plant succession (eutrophication)

  3. Why attract wildlife? • Make an oasis or refuge for wildlife • Simple enjoyment of watching wildlife • Willingness to share the pond with wildlife

  4. Possible Disadvantages of Attracting Wildlife • Dangerous animals • Snakes, bears, alligators • Nuisance animals • Raccoons, deer, otters • Poacher trespass • Attracted to game that use the pond

  5. A dangerous visitor

  6. Types of Wildlife Ponds • Combination fishing/wildlife pond • Wildlife viewing pond • Wildlife refuge pond

  7. Wildlife and Fish • Need open water that is >4 ft deep • Access to pond edge • Fishing pier or boat access • Pond productivity may be low

  8. Wildlife and Fish • Plan to keep part of the pond open for access • Deep water will allow some fertilization for fish population management • Stock red ear sunfish to help reduce vectors of fish parasites • Small ponds do not need fish, dragonflies and frogs will control mosquitoes

  9. Wildlife Viewing Pond • Secluded areas • View of wildlife access points • Wildlife resting areas • Blinds or view from windows of home

  10. Wildlife Refuge Pond • Encourage pond to reach advanced plant succession • Shallow water encourages plant growth • Few human access points

  11. Backyard Wildlife Pond

  12. Encouraging Plant Succession • Leave shallow areas in pond • Lower pond in summer • Plant the types of vegetation you want • Watch for invasives and remove as soon as you see them

  13. Some Plant Possibilities

  14. Alternative plants • Submerged plants Ceratophyllum demersum Hornwort Eleocharis acicularis Hair Grass Mayaca fluviatilis Bog moss Potamogeton diversifolius Threadleaf pondweedPotamogeton pectinatus Sago pondweed Floating aquatic plants and Emergent plantsHydrocotyle ranunculoides Water penneywort Nymphaea odorata White Water Lily Nuphar advena Cow LilyPotamogeton illinoiensis Illinois pondweed

  15. Shrubs - Elderberry

  16. Trees - Pawpaw

  17. Marginal – Primrose willow

  18. Marginal – Swamp Loostrife

  19. Decorative – Marsh Hibiscus

  20. Marginal – Duck Potato

  21. Grasses – Bullrush

  22. Grasses – Fall Panic Grass

  23. Rushes and Sedges –Shore Rush

  24. Rushes to Stablize Pond Edge

  25. Marginal - Cattail

  26. Floating • Water lily • Spreads over shallow areas • Shade 50% of pond to limit algae growth • Remove by pruning to limit spread of lilies • Will populate areas of shallow water (less than 6 ft deep)

  27. Pickerel Weed Out of Control

  28. Submerged – Common Pondweeds (Potamogeton)

  29. Illinois Pondweed

  30. Submerged – Sago Pondweed

  31. Coontail

  32. Summary • Choose your goal • Encourage plant succession • Choose plants carefully • Enjoy wildlife

  33. Do you want wildlife at your doorstep?

More Related