Outdoor Column: Trees and prairie can be like oil and water (2005-02-11)

An Outdoor Column From: Tom Conroy DNR Information Officer 261 Highway 15 South New Ulm,MN 56073 507-359-6014 tom.conroy@dnr.state.mn.us February 11, 2005

Title: Trees and prairie can be like oil and water

On the day they felled the old apple tree in mom's backyard, none of the family cared to be there to witness it, least of all the grandkids. It was as though a piece of our past was about to be erased. Strange, it seems, how people can become emotionally attached to a tree.

Beyond the bushels of apples that tree faithfully produced each year of its' long life, this was our climbin' tree. Barely large enough to support my siblings and me when we were growing up, by the time our own kids came along the stout, open arms of that tree were perfect for crawling around on. In fact, it somehow looked oddly bare if there wasn't at least one kid in it.

Trees, most would agree, are wonderful. It's enlivening to climb a tree, whether as a kid or years later when it's wiser to settle for the lower rather than the higher branches. Trees give us fruit and lumber and provide homes for wildlife. We plant trees to memorialize a loved one or special occasions. Trees are nice to look at - and to sit under.

And so, because of our love affair with trees, it's easy to understand why some people might become puzzled or upset when they see DNR cutting down some trees. When that big old cottonwood tree that could be seen from a mile away comes tumbling down, some folks get angry. When a clump of trees or a fence-line full of hawthorn trees is cleared, nearby neighbors question the sense of it all. What is it all about?

Yes, DNR is removing some trees from specific locations on public land in southwest Minnesota, and occasionally on private land when requested. But over the course of a year, DNR also plants many more trees than it cuts down. When and where it cuts, and when and where it plants, is given careful consideration.

Back up a couple of hundred years. Southwest Minnesota was a sea of tallgrass prairie, wetlands and lakes. Yet like magicians, we eventually managed to make over 99 percent of the tallgrass prairie disappear. Astounding - over 99 percent! (We also did quite a number on wetlands and shallow lakes, draining hundreds of thousands of acres of them.)

During that time, while the left hand was getting rid of prairie and wetlands, the right hand was planting trees. As a result, the landscape of southwest Minnesota today bears little resemblance to how it looked as recently as 100 years ago. And in the process, the land lost much of its capacity to function in the healthy manner it once did.

Trees are not to blame for the degradation that has occurred. Yet in some cases trees can be a problem. Trees growing in or close by prairie and grasslands can often be a detriment to grassland dependent bird species. It is those trees that DNR is removing, a majority of which were not planted there but instead spread from nearby sources. If not removed, they continue to spread.

While it can be difficult for some to appreciate the diversity, beauty and importance of prairie and grasslands, there is nevertheless a growing movement to preserve and restore this critical natural resource. On local, state and federal levels, agencies, organizations and individuals are working together to make this happen.

Improved water quality and flood reduction benefits are chief among the reasons to protect and restore grasslands. Another reason is to improve habitat for songbirds, game birds, butterflies, bugs, and all the other critters that depend on grasslands and prairie for their very survival.

Which brings us back to trees. Studies have demonstrated that certain species of birds, including prairie chickens, ground-nesting waterfowl, dickcissels and meadowlarks, to name a few, will not nest in the vicinity of trees because they instinctively associate these trees with aerial "perched" predators. Some of the grassland bird species that are experiencing the most dramatic population declines are those that avoid nesting near trees.

Strategically removing trees in certain areas gives these bird species a better chance to increase their populations. Also, the removal of small tree stands or large individual trees does not impact other wildlife populations, such as deer, rabbits, or pheasants. (However, some deer hunters, understandably, might not appreciate having to change their hunting strategy.)

The goal is not to remove all trees or shrubs from an area. Rather, it is to reduce what is considered to be a fifty-year backlog of woody encroachment into prairie and grassland so that it can then be kept in check with fire.

That apple tree in mom's backyard eventually became a problem. As it grew old, its' limbs began to die and break off, creating a danger. And eventually the daily chore of picking up apples on the ground became a source of anxiety rather than pleasure for mom.

It was time for the apple tree to come down. It did, and life went on.

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