BACKYARD BIODIVERSITY : CREATING HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE

biodiversity

n : the variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole)

Living in the city one might not expect to have the opportunity to experience possums living under the stove, racoons eating cookies in the living room or chipmunks racing around the bathtub. Robin and I have had the pleasure of all of these interactions with wildlife by creating a diverse backyard habitat. (and by having a cat, a cat door and plenty of cat food available to all of Mother's creatures).

You too can enjoy these experiences by following these simple steps to increase the diversity of plants and animals in your back yard. (If having the adorable creatures as house guests doesn't appeal to you then eliminate the cat door.)

WATER

Providing water for drinking and bathing is essential to attracting birds, butterflies and other creatures. A large glazed saucer filled with water, a traditional birdbath or a pond, stream or other type of water feature will do the trick. Birds need shallow water (1" or less) that they can stand in and bathe or drink. Butterflies need areas of wet exposed soil for "puddling".

 COVER

Wildlife need places to nest, sleep and reproduce. Brush piles, fallen logs, large trees with hollow places or dead limbs, dry stacked rock walls, boulders, ponds or streams, dense shrubs, evergreen plants, leaf litter and ground covering plants provide places for all types of creatures to live. You can attract birds of all kinds, butterflies, dragonflies, chipmunks, squirrels, garden snakes, and lizards.

Dense, multi-layered plantings provide places for birds to nest and roost. Native trees, shrubs and groundcovers are particularly effective in supporting indigenous species. Sweetspire, serviceberry, dogwood, american beautyberry, maypop, and devilwood are good choices that provide both food and shelter for wildlife.

Maintaining a cover of the leaves that fall from the trees in your and your neighbors yards provide many benefits. The earthworms in your soil pull them into their dens and gradually consume them, converting them into rich earthworm compost that plant roots, assisted by soil micro-organisms, take in as nutrients. In this way the nutrients are recycled and the need for outside sources of plant food (fertilizer) is greatly reduced. The leaves provide cover for many creatures such as chipmunks, and snakes and the insects that they and others need for food. Leaves are a natural mulch that helps to control erosion by absorbing rainwater and allowing it to soak into the organic-rich soil beneath reducing the need for supplemental irrigation, preserving topsoil and reducing pollution of streams and other waterways. So instead of raking up your leaves and putting them on the street for  the city to pick up in their energy-wasting, pollution-generating trucks, rake or blow them into your plant beds where they will do some good for the planet.

FOOD

Birds and mammals feed on seeds, berries, leaves insects and other animals. Insects feed on nectar, leaves, other animals and dead matter. This is the web of life. Growing many different kinds of plants in your garden will attract many different kinds of animals which attract other kinds of animals and so on down the line. Leave a couple of fallen branches so insects can thrive that are food for other animals. Because of their perceived beauty humans are particularly attracted to birds and butterflies. Include feeders in your garden filled with the seed of choice of your favorite bird. If you have a sunny space in your garden you can plant flowers that are sources of food for butterflies and their larvae. (see the article "Attracting Butterflies")

KEEP IT NATURAL

Most important of all is to remember that all of the creatures in our gardens have a job to do. Sometimes things get out of balance, particularly when foreign species are introduced into the environment. Those annoying Asian tiger mosquitoes that arrived here 10 or so years ago are good examples. By encouraging birds, bats, toads and carnivorous insects that feed on them they can be kept at bay somewhat.

Keeping your plants healthy by selecting the right plant for the site, preparing the soil properly, and feeding the soil a well-balanced diet (see "Feeding and Caring for the Soil") is the key to a successful backyard habitat. It is okay if a few leaves have holes eaten in them because the culprits will probably become food for the next critter up the food chain. We have a clematis growing on our front porch. Every year soon after the new leaves emerge armies of aphids start to feed on it. I actually look forward to seeing them because I know that soon I'll be seeing the lady bug larvae eating them which means that I'll have plenty of ladybugs to help in the garden later on. Having a wide variety of plants encourages all different kinds of insects including those beneficial insects that help us keep the bad bugs in control. It is useful to learn to tell the good bugs from the bad so you'll know which ones to keep and which ones to squish or leave for another creature to eat.

www.gwf.org—habitats.htm

www.atlantaaudobon.org

www.thebutterflysite.com—gardening.shtml