Anyone been past Davenport Road which comes off of RT 530 near Double Trouble SP, I think it is Berkeley Twnship? It is an Audubon Conservation plot and it looks like someone is clearcutting it. 90% of the trees are gone.
Davenport Road
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They're not clearcutting - its selective thinning. Similar tactics have been employed in different areas of the pines as well. Not sure of every motivation behind this technique, but I do know part of it is to simultaneously manage for/against fire. By cutting in this way they can prevent sweeping crown fires, and also mimic the correct sub-climax community mosaic that would result from the pyrophytic barrens (if we hadn't been screwing it up for so long). Its actually pretty beneficial to a number of species that need that open space.
Have you been past there and seen it? All brush and hardly any trees are left, down to bare sand. If they wanted open space, they sure did get it. Looks like clearcutting as is done out west. I think I'll give Mizrahi a complaint call. Similar cutting was done at the Popcorn Park zoo.
Brings us to the topic of these cedar regeneration projects you see where they "clear cut" aseveral acres of cedar and then put up a sign telling you this really isn't a clear cut it's a cedar regeneration project.Did it occur to them the cedars wouldn't have needed regenerating if they hadn't cut them down?
In all honesty though Bobbleton is right on.Some species do need more open woods,Pine snakes,gravid Rattlers,egg bound turtles.several kinds of birds of prey,it's just we can never do the job as prettily as a fire can.Everything we do at least in the beginning looks ugly.Look at a freshly created sand wash (got a few new ones down here) and then look at one thats been down 70 years like menantico or the one down near bear swamp.Little paradises after awhile.I still don't get the cedar regeneration though.
Al
In all honesty though Bobbleton is right on.Some species do need more open woods,Pine snakes,gravid Rattlers,egg bound turtles.several kinds of birds of prey,it's just we can never do the job as prettily as a fire can.Everything we do at least in the beginning looks ugly.Look at a freshly created sand wash (got a few new ones down here) and then look at one thats been down 70 years like menantico or the one down near bear swamp.Little paradises after awhile.I still don't get the cedar regeneration though.
Al
Only a couple hundred times. You're exaggerating. Also spoke to one of the stewards about it beforehand (simply by chance), as well as working on a job site where it was done in 2009/2010. The cutting by the zoo is probably the same property. I don't see why you'd send in a complaint call about it, for once something was actually done right. That "clearcut" will be a way more ecologically productive than the dark, cramped, choked out forest present beforehand. There are plenty of actual problems to be outraged about . . .
The zoo is not the same property. In my opinion it was not done 'right', hence the complaint.
Care to indulge me as to what your interpretation of correct forest management would have been in this case? Is it based on something or do you just not like the way it looks? Not trying to be sassy or anything - I'm actually just curious why you're up in arms about it.
Well, all the work that has been done is directly along the west side of the roadway, back about 100ft. Once it reaches the retirement homes it follows their backyard property boundaries westward. All brush is removed and it appears the top level of clutter has been scraped clean. The remainder of the tract is untouched. It looks to me that it is nothing more than a fire setback, or perhaps a strip mall going in, and not work to make the area 'ecologically productive'. I'll be interested to hear an explanation from Audubon when I attend the bird show this weekend.
And I'm not 'up in arms', just curious what and why. So far no plausible answers, but thanks for trying.
And I'm not 'up in arms', just curious what and why. So far no plausible answers, but thanks for trying.
You know if they did make a strip mall out of it the accompanying parking lot would be a habitat improvement for sea gulls and house finches.I see both frequenting mall parking lots quite a bit.
Okay I'm being a wiseass now.I'll back out
Al
ps
They made a strip mall out of a special area of woods of mine here in Millville.It's now a Target and a Shop Rite among other stores.The pine snake numbers decreased dramatically along with the foxes and owls that used to be quite thick but you can't get a better spot for laughing Gulls and Ring-Billed Gulls,the occasional Herring Gull too and House Finches out the wazoo
Okay I'm being a wiseass now.I'll back out
Al
ps
They made a strip mall out of a special area of woods of mine here in Millville.It's now a Target and a Shop Rite among other stores.The pine snake numbers decreased dramatically along with the foxes and owls that used to be quite thick but you can't get a better spot for laughing Gulls and Ring-Billed Gulls,the occasional Herring Gull too and House Finches out the wazoo
Never, ever walk thru a mall parking lot with a box of french fries. If they spot you, your doomed
I saw a Hovnanian preserve sign on the side of the road there today. It was on the right side coming from Rt 530 just past the shed set back from the road. A few cars and a Toms River regional school bus was parked on the left, closer to the retirement homes and students were tagging plants. That area was low cut but it wasn't grubbed. This is the area in discussion?
Thanks for trying?? To give a rational explanation? Whether or not you're willing to accept that doing so is a habitat improvement (or whether or not that was even the intention) doesn't change it being exactly that. And yeah - calling to complain means you're up in arms. Otherwise you would have said you'd be calling to quench your curiosity. Thinning the entire plot wouldn't be beneficial, and of course they're going to thin right up to the village as a fire break. Considering neither "improving habitat for endangered species" nor "creating a fire break" register as a plausible answer, I doubt you'll get one you're happy with from Audubon.
Did they leave the trees that were cut on the ground of remove them? Does this look something like Haines and Haines cuttings down on stevenson or old tuckerton? I'm all for selective cutting but I think its best if they cut trees or some are left on the ground to provide hiding areas.
It isn't cut like Stevenson Road. The land isn't clear cut or grubbed. There are trees and bushes still standing. I saw students tagging plants there. The best way to describe it is that it has been opened up. Most of the cut trees have been removed but there were still smaller piles of mixed brush. I saw a front end loader there and the piles were the size of its bucket. It is a drastic change but I wouldn't say it is bad.
Opening up is a good thing. As I mentioned in the pine beetle thread the pines are too dense in spots. I like when they uproot stumps and leave the dying trees or cut trees there. These things provide a ton of value to the rare pinelands species.
There are two signs there that state it is a project for fire reduction and forest regeneration. There are other areas like this in the vicinity. If you make a right off of Davenport Road onto Route 530 heading towards Whiting, there is more cleared land about a hundred meters up the road on your right. A boundary of trees was left along the road side,about fifteen meters deep, so it isn't as noticeable. That area is visible now that the leaves have dropped off of the lower canopy. All of it has the same appearance.
Not sure if it's the same area, but there is an article about the Hovnanian Sanctuary in the latest issue of NJ Audubon Magazine Winter 2011 - 12 that just arrived in my mailbox a day or so ago. In their words form the article: "The project aims to restore approximity 300 acres of forest to a more typical, fire-adapted habitat." Apparently, again according to the article, there were a number of informative meetings held for neighboring residents and local officials that were attended by over 100 people at the Holiday Heights Homeowners Association. The jist of it was the thinning was needed because of 30 years of fire supression in the area due to the close proximity of so many homes.
If anyone is interested, I'll try and scan the article and attach it
If anyone is interested, I'll try and scan the article and attach it
Like the plot that I always say "reminds me of FL", only not as matured. Problem is, cuts like this generally aren't maintained with small fires in years following the cut, so instead of old widely-spaced pitch pines, it turns into a dense "short-forest". Sadly fire is actually needed for a fire-adapted ecosystem to function properly. I doubt there is more than garbage wood (crowns, stumps, etc) leftover, as these types of projects are usually funded at the cost of the removed timber.
