At a recent symposium about ecological design presented by New Directions in the American Landscape, one of the speakers made me rethink my vision of conservation and stewardship of the landscape. Like many gardeners, I have tended to focus on the importance of trees and shrubs as habitat and forage for birds. For good measure, I have always included the native perennial, such as butterfly weed or New England asters, in my plantings because they provide nectar and pollen for insects and birds. I confess, though, to feeling more proud of introducing woody plants into my garden than their smaller-statured meadow and prairie counterparts. After all, there is an arbor day, but to the best of my knowledge there is no holiday celebrating the planting of native grasses.
However, in his talk at the symposium about restoring grasslands, Dwayne Estes of the Southeast Grassland Initiative shared a statistic that took me by surprise. While bird populations have been decimated in recent years, the population of birds most at risk were those whose habitat is grassland. Many of these species nest not in trees but on the ground, and are in search of habitat that is often not prioritized for conservation. Though they once comprised about 30 percent of the landscape of the eastern United States, it turns out that grasslands, not wetlands or woodlands, are the most imperiled ecosystems on earth because for centuries they have been put to use for grazing or agricultural use.
We often think of the pre-Columbian Northeastern landscape as virgin forest, but in reality it was not a contiguous woodland. This landscape contained old-growth grasslands that were grazed by native fauna (and later by livestock), managed and burnt by Native Americans for foraging, and maintained by fires caused by lighting. They ranged from fens, glades and balds to barrens, savannas and meadows.
Some forms of grasslands are already extinct, endangering the more than 50 percent of plant species that are endemic to such sites – and this is the biggest threat to terrestrial biodiversity. The majority of plants native to the northeast are not forest obligate, as are trilliums and mayapples; on the contrary, more than 66 percent are light dependent and need open landscape, or at the very least open sunny woodlands where sunlight helps them to photosynthesize and grow. Some, like quinine, can grow in shade, but will not set seed and multiply there. The need for open plains is also essential for birds: 53 percent of bird species inhabit grasslands; 17 percent live in the forest. A similar statement can be made regarding insects and other pollinators, including bees and the endangered monarch butterfly which depends on the abovementioned butterfly weed for its survival. As gardeners know, butterfly weed is a sun-loving plant, or a heliophyte, which grows on open sites, and it has become a symbol of the need for native plants to support some of our most beloved pollinators.
As if their role in providing habitat is not enough, grasslands, along with forests and other ecosystems, are critical for carbon sequestration because the formation of their soils helps to hold carbon. Despite this, a century of conservation policy has focused primarily on wetlands and forests, and grasslands have been taken over by everything from suburban development to cropland and even reforestation. While fields for crops and haying are open land, they are often harvested and managed in a manner that does not support wildlife. However, according to Massachusetts Audubon, a simple change in mowing times that avoids cutting between late April through mid-August, when birds are nesting and rearing their young, can turn such fields into habitat for ground nesting birds.
Given the fact that many of these birds need five acres or more for a habitat that allows them to see and avoid predators, can any of us make a difference by simply rethinking our backyards? Maybe not as individuals but we can collectively. This lecture has me rethinking my approach to my landscape, both in what I am planting and how I am separating myself off from neighbors. It has inspired me to prioritize a broader range of plants, including forbs and native grasses, that provide habitat for bob-o-links and native swallows. And, after a year of backbreaking labor planting some substantial trees on our property, I am excited that I can take as much satisfaction in the coming season from planting some native sedges and meadow plants and thinking about how I can connect my space to the open spaces of my neighbors. Hopefully, such action will give some ground-nesting birds, and my back, a much-deserved break.
PLEASE NOTE: This weekend’s Winter Lecture at the Berkshire Botanical Garden by garden designer Edwina von Gal is about gardening for the birds. For those interested in saving some of our avian friends, this lecture will be online. Visit Berkshire Botanical Garden’s website for information and tickets.
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