Succession You may find that at some time in the past at least some of your forestland was farmland. If photographs of your land have been taken every few years, you may be able to see the progression of these abandoned fields from brush to pole-sized timber and then eventually to mature timber. This progression from bare ground to mature forest is known as plant succession . A knowledge of plant succession is important because all natural and human activities that affect the vegetation will also affect wildlife habitat. Because each species has a unique set of cover and food requirements, the successful wildlife manager matches forestry activities to the desired wildlife species.
Plant succession begins on bare ground with light-seeded grasses, legumes, and flowering plants.
Over time, small trees, brush, and briar thickets shade out the sun-loving grasses. Successional stages, forest age, and associated wildlife. The relationship between vegetation management and wildlife is outlined in Table 1. Without these interruptions, all field and shrublands will naturally grow into forests, and the habitat conditions for wildlife will change dramatically over time. Relationship of plant succession and wildlife.