Important Plant Groups

Question 1

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Native warm-season grasses:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 1

Big bluestem, little bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass

Provide nesting cover and forage for grassland birds, small mammals, and deer

Managed with prescribed fire, disking, or mowing to maintain vigor and prevent woody encroachment

Found in prairies, oak savannas, and open woodlands

Question 2

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Cool-season grasses:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 2

Tall fescue, orchardgrass, timothy

Provide forage for deer, elk, and other grazers

Managed with mowing, fertilization, and occasional reseeding

Found in pastures, hayfields, and food plots

Question 3

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Legumes:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 3

Clovers (white, red, ladino), alfalfa, lespedezas (Korean, Kobe)

Fix nitrogen in soil, provide high-quality forage for deer, turkeys, and small mammals

Managed with mowing, fertilization, and reseeding every 2-3 years

Found in food plots, pastures, and open woods

Question 4

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Annual grains:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 4

Corn, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, oats

Provide high-energy food for deer, turkeys, waterfowl, and other game species

Planted annually in food plots, often rotated or mixed with other crops

Found in agricultural fields and managed food plots

Question 5

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Forbs:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 5

Ragweeds, ticktrefoils, beggar’s lice, partridge pea, black-eyed susan, goldenrod

Provide food and cover for insects, songbirds, and small mammals

Managed by disking, burning, or allowing natural succession

Found in old fields, prairies, and woodland edges

Question 6

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Soft mast producers:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 6

Soft Mast Producers:

Blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, pokeweed, grape, spicebush

Provide fruit for birds, small mammals, and deer

Managed by cutting, burning, or allowing natural succession

Found in thickets, hedgerows, and woodland edges

Question 7

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Hard mast producers:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 7

Oaks (white, red, black), hickories, beech, black walnut

Provide acorns and nuts for deer, turkeys, squirrels, and other wildlife

Managed by selective timber harvest, crop tree release, or planting

Found in mature forests and woodlands

Question 8

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Understory shrubs:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 8

Dogwoods, viburnums, hazelnut, sumac, plum, crabapple

Provide food, cover, and nesting sites for birds and small mammals

Managed by selective cutting, planting, or allowing natural regeneration

Found in forest understories, thickets, and hedgerows

Question 9

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Native wildfowers:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 9

Coneflowers, milkweeds, asters, blazing star, bee balm, cardinal flower

Provide nectar and pollen for insects, seeds for birds, and forage for deer

Managed by planting, mowing, or burning to maintain diversity

Found in prairies, meadows, and woodland openings

Question 10

Important plant species groups for wildlife

Cover crops:
Examples
Why its important
How to manage for it
Where it is found

Answer 10

Buckwheat, cowpeas, forage brassicas (turnips, rape), cereal grains (rye, wheat)

Provide forage, cover, and soil benefits in food plots and agricultural fields

Planted in rotation with other crops or as a stand-alone cover crop

Found in managed food plots and crop fields