Effective natural resource management at U.S. Army installations requires maintaining adequate habitat for flora and fauna as well as providing the vital training areas for Soldiers.
At Fort Novosel in lower Alabama, the natural resources team has the added challenge of dealing with a variety of invasive species -- adding an additional wrinkle to effectively managing more than 30,000 acres that hosts more than 2-million-plus takeoffs and landings at the U.S. Army’s Aviation Center of Excellence.
“Managing 38,764 acres of Fort Novosel’s land and natural resources is no small task,” said Marty Daniel, Fort Novosel Natural Resources Branch Chief. “Our team, through implementation of our Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, is preserving the resources through land and habitat management, invasive species control, at-risk species management and monitoring, educational outreach, and recreational activities for the more than 20,000 people who live and work at Fort Novosel.”
The aircraft traffic volume at Fort Novosel accounts for 32% of the Army’s total flying hours – across the entire worldwide presence. That produces an aircraft traffic count that is double the traffic levels at the notoriously busy Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
“Through the efforts of our Natural Resource team, we’ve not only conserved natural resources and increased the populations of at-risk and protected wildlife species, but we’ve maintained the land for vital training, our core mission,” said Daniel Spillers, Fish and Wildlife Administrator. “We’ve also worked hard to ensure that this land entrusted to our installation can be used to provide recreational uses for generations to come.”
Conservation and restoration efforts at Fort Novosel (formerly known as Fort Rucker) date back to 1964 and have increased the populations of native species such as the white-tailed deer and the gopher tortoise, an at-risk species that has required protection and conservation measures from the team.
As part of that work, the team has had to take steps to limit the negative impact that invasive species – or species not indigenous to the area – have on the ecosystem. Much of this work centers on feral swine and coyotes.
For example, a study on fawn mortality conducted in partnership with Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, showed the team at Fort Novosel that only 26% of local fawns live longer than six months, upsetting the natural age balance necessary for a healthy herd. The data showed that coyotes take two-thirds of the fawns with the other third dying due to natural causes. Coyotes are also a threat to the turkey population on the installation.
To respond to this, the team implemented a coyote trapping program to reduce the impact of the predators while also creating 360 aces of food plots to supplement the food supply for the deer. The team conducts annual camera surveys to document the deer population, including the number of fawns and the doe-to-buck ratio of the herd. The team also closely monitors recreational deer hunting to gain data on the herd and sets harvest quotas to ensure the right balance is maintained. Hunting land is divided into distinct areas and quotas are set for antlerless deer, and once the quotas are met, the season is ended.
Feral swine are another invasive species that are managed at Fort Novosel through a trapping program. Like coyotes, the swine impact the white-tail deer population by competing for food and habitat. The swine, through their wallowing and rooting behaviors, destroy habitat and can impact the regeneration of forest lands by stunting the growth of trees and by eating seedlings.
The trapping program was developed and implemented in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Animal, Plant, Health, Inspection Service. The cost-share program with USDA has been instrumental in the effort to increase trapping, protect sensitive flora and fauna, and increase education throughout the installation.
There have been signs of success. The coyote harvest declined from 53 in 2022, to less than 20 in 2023, reflecting what the team believes is a reduction in the coyote population overall. The number of feral swine have also been reduced through the program, which at its inception trapped more than 800 swine.
The protection and conservation of at-risk species is also a primary concern. The gopher tortoise is an Army at-risk species, as well as a state of Alabama protected species. The tortoise population live in burrows in the longleaf pine ecosystem. These burrows not only serve as habitat for the tortoises, but they also provide habitat and fire event protection for other species.
“We work to relocate the gopher tortoises found in areas where they may be harmed, such as construction sites and roadways. We’ve created a 1.5-acre enclosure where we take these tortoises to live for six months before releasing them in the area increasing the likelihood they’ll take up permanent residence there,” said Spillers. “In the last year, we successfully relocated 15 gopher tortoises using this method.”
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