Landscaping for Wildlife in Alaska

BY PLANTING TREES, SHRUBS, AND FLOWERS with the needs of wildlife in mind, Alaskans can create beautiful surroundings that provide food, cover, and water to a variety of birds and mammals.

PINE GROSBEAKS, tree swallows, Bohemian waxwings, hermit thrushes, American robins, and snow buntings are just a few of the colorful songbirds that can live amidst Alaska's cities, villages, farms, and homesteads — if we landscape the places where we live and work with their needs in mind. Snowshoe hares, flying squirrels and other interesting small mammals may also find homes in landscaped areas.

THROUGHOUT THE LOWER 48 STATES many songbird populations have declined as a result of disappearing habitat — particularly around towns and cities. In many places, the spring songs of robins and other birds are no longer heard, nor can people enjoy the colors and fascinating habits of woodpeckers, warblers, swallows and other birds. By landscaping for wildlife, Alaskans can help prevent such a decline in our wild bird populations — in addition to creating more enjoyable surroundings for people.

HABITAT for native birds and small mammals can be easily produced by supplying them the necessities of life — food, cover, water and space in the proper arrangement. Different species require different kinds and quantities of these necessities. Seed-, berry-, and insect-eating birds that need only small areas to live are the species whose needs can be most easily provided for by landscaping Alaska's communities.

BACKYARDS, school, office, hospital and nursing home grounds, local parks, shelterbelts, fence rows, and abandoned fields can all be easily landscaped for wildlife. No area is too small for landscaping. If one of every 10 Alaskans created enough habitat for at least one pair of birds, our communities would be alive with beauty, movement, and song.

BY FOLLOWING THESE SIX SIMPLE STEPS, you can make your community a more pleasant place for people and a better place for Alaska's nongame wildlife.

Six Steps to Creating Wildlife Habitat

Select an area. Find out what wildlife and plants occur nearby. Select plants adapted to your location that attract wildlife. Prepare a landscape design. Obtain plants, cuttings, seedlings or seeds — then plant your own wildlife refuge. Add water and bird-feeders, nest boxes or other features to meet special wildlife needs.

Step 1. Select an Area

ANY AREA — LARGE OR SMALL — can be modified to create a better home for wildlife. The larger the area, the greater variety of wildlife may be attracted, but no area is too small. Several small landscaped yards combined will attract as great a variety of wildlife as a single large area — so neighbors may want to cooperate. Landscaping a local area — such as a park or nursing home grounds — would make a good service project for a club.

Test the soil to find out what plants are likely to grow in the area and to learn how to fertilize for maximum plant growth. Specific instructions for collecting and processing a soil sample can be obtained from the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service (see reference list). Note the soil moisture at the site, also.

Step 2. Find Out What Wildlife and Plants Occur Nearby

Make a list of the birds, mammals, and amphibians that occur in your local area, and try to learn a little about which plants they use for food and cover. Local biology teachers, Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, or a local Audubon Society can help you find out what wildlife occurs in your area and tell you some of the plants they use. These are the animals you can expect to attract to the area you landscape. Animals that are rare or do not occur nearby are unlikely to be attracted.

Step 3. Select Plants that Attract Wildlife

To create wildlife habitat, you must provide food, cover, and water. Plants provide food and cover to most animals. Use the tables in “Native Alaskan and Exotic Plants Used by Wildlife” to select plants that a) occur or will grow in your region, b) are suitable for the soil, moisture, and climatic conditions at your site, and c) provide food or cover for wildlife. Plants you listed in Step 2 (above) will be among the best choices even if they aren't listed in these tables.

You can attract the greatest variety of wildlife by planting several kinds of plants, since different plants provide different types of food and cover.

FOOD — CHOOSE A VARIETY of seeds and berry producing plants. White spruce trees provide seeds for crossbills, and pine siskins, while redpolls prefer alder or birch seeds, and Bohemian waxwings eat mountain ash berries. Similarly, snowshoe hares eat willow shoots, while a flying squirrel prefers spruce seeds and mushrooms. Insect-eating birds and mammals are also attracted by landscaping with a variety of plants, because many insects live on plants. If possible, avoid using insecticides, as these may be harmful to wildlife.

COVER — Food is of little value unless “cover” — places for nesting, escape from predators, and protection from bad weather — is also provided. Again, different species require different sorts of cover. Tall spruce trees provide nesting cover for Townsend's warblers, but white-crowned sparrows nest on the ground and need the protection of low shrubs and herbaceous plants. Wilson's warblers prefer to feed and nest in shrubs of medium height such as willow. You can attract the greatest variety of birds by planting patches of herbs, shrubs, and trees together so that distinct layers of tall, medium, and low vegetation are available.

Step 4. Prepare a Landscape Design

Using the diagram you drew in Step 1, draw several alternative landscapes. When possible, plant strips, patches, or clumps of trees, shrubs, or herbs. Always plant more than one individual plant of each species, and plant a variety of species. Incorporate any trees or shrubs already present by planting new plants around them. Remember to create distinct layers of vegetation including a tree, tall shrub, low shrub, and herbaceous layer. Be sure to include open meadows or lawns as this type of area is also used by wildlife (robins and swallows, in particular).

FOOD, COVER, and WATER must be interspersed. If food is in one corner of the yard, cover in another, and water on the other side of a building, few species will be attracted. Place food, cover and water close together.

IN CHOOSING YOUR FINAL DESIGN consider the appearance of your arrangement. Intersperse plants that bloom or turn colors at different times. Avoid planting trees below powerlines or in front of windows where they may block a desired view. If you are landscaping a yard or the grounds of a hospital, office, or other building, design the area so that visiting wildlife will be visible from the windows. Place tall trees and shrubs behind low shrubs and herbaceous plants, so that wildlife using low vegetation will be visible, also.

IMAGINE WHAT THE AREA WILL LOOK LIKE right after you plant and in 5, 10, or 30-50 years when plants have matured. You can expect the following general patterns of plant growth and wildlife use...

THROUGHOUT FORESTED REGIONS OF ALASKA...

If you start with a bare lot, ground-dwelling birds will be the first attracted by seed producing herbs. Savannah, golden-crowned sparrows, and juncos are likely visitors. Robins, flocks of redpolls, snow buntings, or longspurs may visit open areas. Add nest boxes to attract swallows, and songposts and open water to enhance the area's attractiveness. Brushpiles or rock gardens will provide birds protection from weather and predators until shrubs have grown.

Within 5-10 years, shrubs and berryproducing plants will attract hermit and Swainson's thrushes, robins, grosbeaks, and waxwings. Wilson's, yellow, and orange-crowned warblers will likely nest amidst the shrubbery. Dark-eyed juncos are certain to nest if adequate ground cover is present. If you started with a few established trees and shrubs, this variety of birds will be attracted even sooner.

In 30-50 years, tall trees will attract kinglets, Yellow-rumped warblers, woodpeckers, and chickadees. Varied thrushes will buzz, while hermit and Swainson's thrushes sing their flute-like songs. Grosbeaks and waxwings will feed on the buds and berries of your plants, year-round. A sharp-shinned hawk may visit rarely. And the open area and low shrubs you've maintained will still attract orange-crowned and yellow warblers, juncos, robins and various sparrows.

IN TREELESS REGIONS OF ALASKA ... (excepting northernmost areas)

In the years before shrubs are established, snow buntings, rosy finches, pipits, horned larks, longspurs, and shorebirds will be attracted by seed-producing herbs like arnica, bistort, artemisia, and dock. Anything that provides shelter from wind or predators will also attract birds. Snow buntings and swallows are likely to use nest boxes. Study the plants and birds of your region, and try to provide vegetation or other features they are using.

When low shrubs have developed, redpolls will visit in flocks. Ptarmigan may visit to feed on willow and dwarf birch. Wagtails, arctic warblers, or tree sparrows may feed and nest in willow patches. Fox, golden-crowned and other sparrows may feed and sing amidst the low shrubs. Longspurs, pipits, and shorebirds will continue to visit open areas. Tree swallows and snow buntings will use nest boxes. If you've provided a small pond, phalaropes are likely visitors.

Once shrubs are tall and plants are fruiting, robins, gray jays, and gray-cheeked or hermit thrushes may visit your area. Yellow and Wilson's warblers may flit amidst the willow and alder. Rusty blackbirds, blackpoll warblers, and alder flycatchers may also feed and nest in the area. A shrike may perch on a branch to hunt. Swallows and snow buntings will still use nest boxes, and open areas will continue to attract longspurs and shorebirds.

Step 5. Obtain Seedlings, Cuttings or Seeds, and Plant

Check first with local greenhouses to find out what plants, seedlings, cuttings, or seeds you can obtain locally. Also, check with the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service for a list of greenhouses and companies that stock native plants. Those plants that cannot be obtained commercially can be obtained from the wild, either by transplanting or by collecting cuttings or seeds. In addition to the information provided here, you may wish to consult other references on plant propagation techniques — see the additional references at the bottom of this document.

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CUTTINGS — SOFTWOOD CUTTINGS — Cut leafed out branches 3-8" long with 2-6 leaf nodes, during spring or early summer when the plant is growing rapidly. Protect the cutting from sun and drying winds by collecting only on cool, cloudy days and by loosely wrapping each cutting in wet cloth. As soon as possible after collecting, remove the lower leaves and place the base of the cutting in a wet rooting medium (vermiculite, pearlite, or a sand-peat mixture). Rooting hormones such as indolebutyric acid will increase success. Until roots are formed, the cutting should be kept moist, warm, and protected from direct sunlight. Once roots are established, the plants should be transferred to soil.

HARDWOOD CUTTINGS — Cut branches 8-10" long when plants are dormant, preferably March or early April. These cuttings should include only the current year's growth and be less than ½" in diameter at the base. Cuttings can be rooted inside, then planted as seedlings or stored and planted when the soil is warm. The former method is generally more successful. If you choose to store the cuttings, wrap the bases in wet paper towels or cloth, and store in a plastic bag in the freezer. Be sure to keep the soil around a cutting moist throughout the first summer. A commercial preparation of indolebutyric acid (rooting hormone) will improve the success of cuttings whether they are rooted inside or out.

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SEED-COLLECTING — Seeds of some native plants can be collected from the wild and planted in fall or spring. Specific collecting methods vary widely among plants. Most amateur gardeners may find the simplest method is to treat the seeds just as nature would. Collect seeds just as they are falling off the adult plant, then spread them on the ground in the area you want the plants to grow. This method will not work for all plants, but a few seeds of most species will germinate. Germination rates will be low, however, so be sure to collect many more seeds than you need plants.

Collect seeds when they are ripe and from on or near healthy plants growing in a habitat similar to the area you are landscaping. Most plant seeds ripen in late summer or fall, though some willow, aspen, black cottonwood, and balsam poplar ripen in spring. You will probably need to observe the plants in your region to select the best time for seed collection. A few days can make the difference between immature and ripe seeds, and thus affect germination rates. By collecting many seeds on a few different days, you can probably assure some success. Some seeds require two winters in the soil before germinating, so don't be discouraged if nothing comes up the first year.

Commercial seed collectors have developed specific techniques for a variety of plant seeds to improve germination rates and storability. These techniques include drying, mechanically or chemically abrading the seed coat, and stratifying (placing moist seeds at a particular temperature for a specified length of time). To learn specific techniques for some Alaskan species, consult Seeds of the Woody Plants in the U.S. (USDA Agricultural Handbook No. 450, 1974). Copies of this publication are available at libraries, and at U.S. Soil Conservation Service and University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service offices.

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TRANSPLANTING — This method is attractive because plants are relatively large when put in place, but one must be careful to avoid harming wild areas from which one is transplanting. Digging up a few small, young plants is less visible and less destructive then digging up large plants. In addition, seedlings less than 3 years old survive transplanting much better than large plants.

BEFORE DIGGING UP ANY PLANTS, be sure to obtain permission from the land owner or responsible agency. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Forestry Division sometimes has selected areas for seedling thinning and will give permission and directions to a specific area. Areas scheduled for building projects also provide good places to obtain plants for transplanting, provided the landowner gives permission. Successful transplanting requires a lot of care and attention to individual plants; each plant must be replanted the same day it is dug up. Thus, you will have more success if you transplant no more than 2 or 3 plants in a single day.

1. SELECTING A PLANT — Choose a small healthy seedling from an area of soil, moisture, and shade similar to the area you are landscaping. Plants should be dug up ONLY if they are abundant in the area. In many areas of Alaska, soils are shallow and underlain by permafrost, so plant roots often extend farther horizontally than vertically. The older the plant, the farther the roots may extend. For example, a blueberry plant's roots may extend out 10 feet from the plant stem. If most of a plant's roots are destroyed during transplanting, the plant will not survive. This is another reason to choose small, young plants rather than large ones.

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2. DIGGING UP THE PLANT — Transplanting is best done in late fall or early spring when plants are dormant, and on cool, cloudy days to reduce plant moisture loss. Dig up the plant to be transplanted by digging far enough from the main stem or trunk to keep the roots intact. To find out how far the plant's roots extend, scrape the plant litter and a few inches of surface soil away with your hands. If the roots extend more than 1 or 2 feet out, you should select a different plant. Be sure to replace the soil and plant litter to the original level whether you decide to dig up the plant or not. Use a sharp shovel, axe, or pruning tool to dig up the plant, as cleanly cut roots are less susceptible to root rot.

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3. MOVING THE PLANT — Ball the roots and soil in wet burlap and cut the bottom roots away with a sharp tool. Carefully remove the plant from the hole, being sure to keep the root-soil ball intact. Wrap the root ball in plastic to keep the burlap wet. Replace any loose dirt to the hole, and cover with plant litter if any is nearby.

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4. PLANTING — Dig a hole about 12" wider than the diameter of the root ball. If necessary, partially fill the hole with soil so that the plant will be at the same depth as it was when dug up. Use a board leveled across the hole to insure the depth is correct. If the soil is wet, a foot of gravel in the bottom of the hole will improve drainage. Remove plastic, loosen burlap, then spread the roots evenly in the hole. Carefully prune all damaged roots and apply a commercial preparation of indolebutyric acid (rooting hormone) according to package instructions. Fill in the hole with top soil about half way, then soak the soil with water. When the water has soaked into the soil, finish filling the hole with soil, then soak once more with water.

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5. CARE FOR THE TRANSPLANT — Trees larger than 3 feet should be supported by guy wires and poles (see inset) for 1-2 years or until the roots become established. Pruning some branches from trees or shrubs may improve their survival, but do not cut away the top branch of a conifer. Fertilize the plant carefully, according to the specific soil type in your area — be careful not to over-fertilize. Keeping the roots of a transplant wet until it becomes established is critical. This should be accomplished by soaking the ground around the tree whenever the soil appears dry. Shallow watering may do more harm than good. Do not fertilize after mid-July or the plants will suffer more frost damage. As the tree or shrub grows, proper watering and fertilization will insure a healthy plant. Do not prune the lower branches of shrubs or trees once they are established, as these provide valuable cover for many types of wildlife.

Step 6. Add Water, and Other Features to Meet Special Wildlife Needs

In addition to planting, you can make your area more attractive to wildlife by meeting other wildlife-habitat requirements. All species require water in addition to food and cover, and many species have special habitat requirements. If you are interested in attracting a certain species that occurs in your area, take time to research the animal's specific habitat requirements to find out if you could provide the particular food or cover it requires. Below are a few examples of features you can add to make the area you landscaped even more attractive to wildlife. These features can also be used to enhance areas that already attract wildlife.

WATER — Water is a necessity for wildlife. Though small birds can obtain drinking water from dew, rain, snow, and their foods, they use open water for drinking and bathing. Small pools of water on the ground may be more attractive than elevated bird baths, but birds are more exposed to roaming cats when bathing on the ground.

Land with natural or artificial ponds can be modified to attract a variety of wildlife associated with open water including frogs, ducks, and shorebirds. If you own a large parcel of land, you may wish to create a pond for wildlife. The feasibility of this will depend on the particular soil type, slope, local climate, and amount of money you want to invest. In general, ponds with shallow, gentle-sloping shorelines and irregular shapes provide the best wildlife habitat. Logs and rocks along the pond edges, as well as small islands offshore, will enhance the value of the pond to wildlife. Thick grasses and shrubs along part of the pond shore will provide nesting and roosting cover for some birds.

BIRD FEEDERS — While you wait for trees and shrubs to grow, a bird feeder can attract a variety of birds, particularly during winter. See ADF&G's “Winter Bird-Feeding in Alaska” for more information on bird-feeding in Alaska.

SNAGS AND NEST BOXES — Dead trees, or snags, are often cut down as they are presumed to be of no value. However, snags provide feeding and drumming sites for woodpeckers, songposts for a variety of birds, and hunting perches for owls and hawks. Woodpecker holes and cavities in snags provide nest sites and shelter from wind, snow and cold during winter for many birds and small mammals. Thus, dead trees should be left standing whenever possible, particularly snags 6 inches or more in diameter and any containing cavities. If no dead trees occur in your area, nest boxes can provide suitable nesting and roosting sites for some species.

CHICKADEES, WOODPECKERS, SMALL OWLS, SWALLOWS, NUTHATCHES AND SOME WATER-FOWL nest in tree cavities and will sometimes use nest boxes. Nest boxes are most valuable if built the proper size, placed at the correct height, and faced in the right direction.

SAY'S PHOEBES, CLIFF SWALLOWS, and ROBINS will sometimes use small ledges placed under eaves or bridges.

See ADF&G's “Birdhouses for Alaska” to learn how to construct and place nest boxes and ledges for Alaskan birds.

SONGPOSTS provide birds places to perch above other vegetation where they can see large areas, sing, be conspicuous, and detect predators. Fenceposts, clotheslines, or any pole will be used by singing birds, particularly in areas where shrubs and trees are sparse. Songposts should stick up one foot or more above surrounding vegetation.

ESCAPE COVER can be provided by a brush pile, a pile of rocks, or a log. Dark-eyed juncos and snowshoe hares are particularly attracted by brush piles. In treeless areas, almost any sort of protection from wind will attract birds. A discarded Christmas tree can provide valuable cover.

GRIT provided by a patch of sand or gravel will often attract seed-eating birds like ptarmigan, grosbeaks, sparrows, and crossbills.

MUD PUDDLES will be used in spring by cliff swallows, if they are placed in open areas near buildings or cliffs where these birds can build their mud nests.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: Alaska Rural Development Council. 1977. A revegetative guide for Alaska. Rural Development Council Publication No. 2. 238 pp. Provides useful information for revegetating large areas including seed-broadcast rates (lbs/acre), fertilizer amounts, and plant viability by region of Alaska. More information on planting methods. Available from the Univ. of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service. Epps, A. C. 1977. A key to flower growing in Alaska. Cooperative Extension Service. Univ. of Alaska and U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, cooperating. 25 pp. Provides information on flower propagation, planting dates, and tips for beginning gardeners in Alaska. Epps, A. C. 1980. Landscape plant materials for Alaska. Cooperative Extension Service. Univ. of Alaska and U.S. D.A. cooperating. 35 pp. Provides additional information on transplanting techniques, selection and placement of plants, and availability and suitability of a variety of trees and shrubs for landscaping in Alaska. Epps, A. C. and T. E. Loynachan. 1980. Soil Sampling. Cooperative Extension Service. Univ. of Alaska and U.S.D.A. cooperating. 6 pp. Detailed instructions on how to take soil samples to insure accurate results, and specific addresses to send soil samples for analysis in Alaska. Hartmann, H. T. and D. E. Kester. 1959. Plant propagation, principles and practices. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 559 pp. Provides more detailed information on transplanting, cuttings, seed-collecting and plant care. Any good text on plant propagation should provide similar information. Check your local library. Hulten, E. 1968. Flora of Alaska. Stanford Univ. Press. Stanford, CA. 1008 pp. Provides detailed drawings, identification keys, distribution maps, and habitat information on Alaskan plants. Helpful for locating various species for seed-collecting, cuttings, or transplanting. Available at libraries. U.S.D.A. 1974 Seeds of woody plants of the U.S. U.S.D.A. Agricultural Handbook No. 450. pp. Provides species-specific information on seed-collecting and handling techniques for many Alaskan species. Reference copies available at Cooperative Extension Service and Soil Conservation Service offices. Vierick, L. A. and E. L. Little, Jr. 1972. Alaska trees and shrubs. U.S.D.A. Agricultural Handbook No. 410. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D. C. 265 pp. Specific identification and distribution information on Alaska trees and shrubs. Available at libraries, and the U.S. Govt. Printing Office. Stock No. 001-000-01344-1.

Written by Susan E. Quinlan, ADF&G, and Sal Cuccarese, AEIDC.
Illustrated by: Susan E. Quinlan