The type of woodlot you have may depend on the diversity of wildlife that may be within it. A forest with an abundance of berry-producing shrubs, bushy cover and saplings is going to generally attract animals like ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbits, American woodcock and white-tailed deer.

Older or more mature forests provide shelter for animals like white-tailed deer, squirrels and screech owls. Mature forests also provide winter food sources for many wildlife species, including: white-tailed deer, turkeys, gray foxes, rabbits, bears and birds.

Certain tree species attract wildlife because of the fruit they bear and the shelter they provide. It is important to remember that not all trees will survive in your woodlot's current environment, so choosing the right tree for your woodlot is important. For example, planting a sun-loving sapling in an old growth forest, which probably has a full canopy, probably will not work.

Trees need the right conditions to survive; in this case sun is crucial but is not available because of the forest canopy. So, before you order any seedlings, take into account whether your forest is young or old, the soil conditions (drainage and composition) as well as sun availability.

Once you have discovered what your woodlot can support, you can focus on attracting wildlife.

Below are a few examples of trees and the wildlife they tend to attract.

Conifers

White cedar: white-tailed deer, red squirrels, ruffed grouse, ring-necked pheasants, wild turkey and song birds

White pine: white-tailed deer, gray and red squirrels, chipmunks, wood ducks, turkeys, mourning doves, woodpeckers and song birds

Balsam fir: white-tailed deer, gray squirrels and song birds

Hardwoods

Aspen: beavers, white-tailed deer and ruffed grouse

Black cherry: black bears, raccoons, red squirrels, ruffed grouse and cedar wax-wings

Beech: black bears, blue jays, white-tailed deer, chipmunks, squirrels, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys and tufted titmice

Oak: black bears, white-tailed deer, raccoons, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, wood ducks and blue jays

Red and sugar maple: beavers, chipmunks, white-tailed deer and rose-breasted grosbeak, wild turkeys

Shrubs

American plum: song birds, grouse and ring-necked pheasants

Serviceberry: white-tailed deer, red squirrels, bluebirds, cardinals, cedar wax-wings and scarlet tanagers

Silky dogwood: rabbits, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, bluebirds, cardinals and cedar wax-wings

High bush blueberry: black bears, white-tailed deer, rabbits, and gray cat birds

Elderberry: rabbits, bluebirds, cardinals, indigo bunting and rose-breasted grosbeaks

Blackberry: white-tailed deer, chipmunks, rabbits, ring-necked pheasants and robins

For additional information on forestland activities visit Cornell's forestry Web site at www.ForestConnect.info, contact your local office of the Cornell Cooperative Extension or join the New York Forest Owners Association through their Web site at www.nyfoa.org.

Renee Jensen is a community educator of environmental issues at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County