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In the past, resting and nesting, roosting and feeding, were sufficient categories for thinking about cover. It is now important to add:

• roosting
• resting
• bedding
• nesting
• hibernating
• breeding
• feeding
• warming/cooling
• escaping
• hiding (visual)
• poacher protection
• pollutant and pesticide protection

Soil and litter, like night, is the cover needed by a large number of animals. The moles and shrews are conspicuous examples but snakes, salamanders and other build or use burrow systems. These burrow systems, like trails (see below), reduce energy costs and provide one or more of the above listed types of cover.

Vegetation can provide many types of cover. Rocks, caves, and other structures can provide additional types of cover. Windbreaks and other types of fences should be considered for improving conditions for some species. Holes created by groundhogs (woodchucks, Marmota monax) or other creatures can be considered excellent cover for many species.

Teepee-shaped brush piles are excellent covers. Because only the ends of brush and logs are touching the ground, the pile lasts longer and serves animals longer than flat piles. Teepee shapes shed snow and water and have little wind turbulence causing energy loss in animals. No one knows the proper distance apart for these structures. In most cases, the amount of available materials will determine the distances. In general, many small piles, about 8 feet in diameter, are better than one large one. Planting or encouraging vines, some food-bearing, can improve the conditions. Where there are options, put the brush piles at the corners of triangles of hedgerows, fence rows or planted lanes. Brush piles decompose and change in their ability to meet the needs of different animals. Different bird species use different brushpiles of different age. A plan of management much like forest rotation is needed. Branches can be replaced and replenished or new piles created, typically on a rotation of 5 to 8 years. Prey production (salamanders and rodents) may be the primary yield from the mature pile with its deep decomposing wood and litter. Placing tiles or rocks or old culverts under the brushpiles can enhance their use and value. Slow-to-decompose posts or logs can add to nesting site quality at the center of the pile.

Strangely, trails can be considered to be cover. They are structures that allow animals to reduce the energy required to survive in an area. They reduce the costs and risks of moving between points.

Many modern wildlife managers now think that having ample well-distributed cover may be more important to more animals than having available food for them. Reducing loss of energy seems more difficult than finding energy for consumption.

Snags , tree holes, and down logs are cover for many animals. Consider studying the section on that topic.

Open-grown conifers, e.g., cedars or junipers trimmed to "hedge-out", or clusters of red-pine (10-20) trees can be useful components of the designed space for animals.

This Web site is maintained by R. H. Giles, Jr.
Last revision January 17, 2000.