There are many reasons to restore wildlife habitat. For example, game species may be of interest, or landowners may be avid birders. Landowners might also need to adhere to requirements made by an agency such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) or the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) to include vegetation at a restoration site that supports existing wildlife in general, or to provide specific habitat structure or food sources for a threatened or endangered animal whose habitat may have been harmed. General wildlife habitat generally requires high heterogeneity in plant type and structure [1] while particular species of interest can be targeted with a strategic seed mix. For example, seed eating desert rodents tend to prefer large-seeded winter annuals for food [2] while ants tend to specialize on smaller seeded species [3].
Resources
- Creating Landscapes For Wildlife : A Guide For Backyards in Utah
- Audubon | Plants for Birds
- UGS Wetlands - Wildlife and Plants
- How to Design a Better Wildlife Garden
- How to create a wildlife friendly yard
- Wild About Utah | Native Plants for Birds
- Utah Wildlife Action Plan
- Wildlife Habitat 101
- Fencing Guidelines for Wildlife
- Plants for Desert Tortoise Enclosure
- CorridorDesign - GIS tools and information for designing wildlife corridors
References
[1] Norbury G, van Overmeire W. Low structural complexity of nonnative grassland habitat exposes prey to higher predation. Ecological Applications. 2019;29(2):1–8.
[2] Brown JH, Davidson DW, Munger JC, Inouye RS. Experimental community ecology: the desert granivore system. In: Diamond J, Case TJ, editors. Community ecology. Harper & Row; 1986. p. 41–61.
[3] Davidson DW, Inouye RS, Brown JH. Granivory in a desert ecosystem: experimental evidence for indirect facilitation of ants by rodents. Ecology. 1984;65(6):1780–1786. doi:10.2307/1937774