Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area (WMA) had its beginning with the purchase of 7,777 acres in southwest Colbert County by the State of Alabama during the early 1940s. During the 1920s and ҆30s, what is now a camping area on the WMA was then called Stewart’s Sawmill. It was from this sawmill that most of the area was logged, particularly for the shortleaf pine that was found growing in the region. Since the purchase of the land by the state, little logging has taken place. This has caused the area’s timber composition to be generally a 70- to 80-year-old “middle-aged” oak/hickory forest.
Forever Wild sign near Freedom Hills
In 1988, a tornado transected the area’s southeast side and caused several acres of timber to be blown down. It was decided that during the salvage of this timber an additional 150 acres would be harvested to create early successional habitat. Succession in habitat is the known change that occurs in vegetative growth from bare ground to a mature forest. Different wildlife species prefer different stages of succession (or vegetative growth). Early successional habitat is the vegetative regrowth up to about 5 years of age. The 22 different tracts that comprised the 150 acres were disbursed throughout the area. The creation of this additional type of habitat has increased nesting areas for quail and turkey and provided habitat for other types of wildlife that need this early stage of forest.
By late 1993, these units had demonstrated some success by a noticed increase in rabbit and quail populations. Along the area’s Truck Trail 14, there was a 19-acre tract of oak/hickory timber that ended at one of these units. The 19 acres was thinned down to four or five mature oak trees per acre. This new unit was managed for early succession habitat like the other 22 units, except the mature oaks were retained as part of the unit. This was the birth of the Oak Savannah on Freedom Hills WMA.
An Oak Savannah – National Heritage Magazine, Molly McGovern 2003
Since the Oak Savannah was created in 1994, it has been maintained through the use of a drum chopper pulled by a bulldozer. This equipment, along with prescribed fire, has been used to prevent the regeneration of saplings. Some burning has taken place in late winter and early spring, but prescribed fire has also been used at the end of the growing season in late September and October. The prescribed fire is used to “top kill” the woody vegetation and bring back grassy vegetation within the unit.
The Oak Savannah unit has been an important additional habitat component on the Freedom Hills WMA. It also serves as a transition zone from mature timber on one side, to completely treeless areas of the successional units, to agricultural fields along the other side. It has also become an important part of Site 13 on the North Alabama Birding Trail. Not only has it benefitted game species on the area, but many species of nongame animals as well. Visitors to this location have the opportunity to see and hear many species of wildlife.
A savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.[1][2][3] Some classification systems[which?] also recognize a grassland savanna from which trees are absent.[4] This article deals only with savanna under the common definition of a grassy woodland with a significant woody plant component.
It is often believed that savannas feature widely spaced, scattered trees. However, in many savannas, tree densities are higher and trees are more regularly spaced than in forest. Savannas are also characterized by seasonal water availability, with the majority of rainfall confined to one season. Savannas are associated with several types of biomes. Savannas are frequently in a transitional zone between forest and desert or grassland. Savanna covers approximately 20% of the Earth’s land area. -Wikipedia
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR visitwww.outdooralabama.com.
1 comment
Great piece!!!