CCVA Fact Sheet: Open Woodlands
Open Woodlands
Used generally to describe low density forests, open woodland ecosystems contain widely spaced trees
whose crowns do not touch, causing for an open canopy, insignificant midstory canopy layer, sparse
understory and where groundcover is the most obvious feature of the landscape dominated by diverse
flora (grasses, forbes, sedges). Open Woodlands provide habitat for a diverse mix of wildlife species,
several of which are of conservation concern, such as Red Headed Woodpecker, Prairie Warbler,
Kentucky Warbler, Northern Bobwhite and Eastern Red Bat.
Predicted climate change will largely impact changes in temperature and moisture availability in open
woodlands systems, likely having a cascading effect on a species habitat and increasing stress to many
of these species. The Appalachian LCC funded NatureServe to conduct vulnerability assessments on a
suite of plants, animals, and habitats within the Appalachians. These assessments can be used as an early
warning system to alert resource managers about changing conditions.
Publication Date: 2018
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