Habitat at home: How communities can strengthen ecosystems together

Across Minnesota, forests, prairies and wetlands shape both the character of our landscape and our sense of place. Today, Minnesota’s natural landscapes face growing pressure from invasive species, habitat fragmentation, land-use change and climate change. These stressors have contributed to biodiversity loss across many native ecosystems. 

While protected natural areas play an important role in conservation, many of Minnesota’s native habitats exist on small parcels of private land such as backyards, neighborhood parks, woodlots and shorelines.

The good news? Meaningful conservation does not require owning a large property. Everyone can play a role in being caretakers of our natural habitats, even in our own backyards. When neighbors work together to support habitat-friendly practices, those benefits to native plant and wildlife communities can grow far beyond a single yard.

Start with native plant communities

Healthy native plant communities are the foundation of resilient ecosystems. These are groups of plants that evolved together in a particular region under similar climate, soil and natural disturbance conditions. Because they evolved alongside native insects, birds and other animals, they are more likely to provide the food, shelter and seasonal resources those species need.

Even small changes in your yard can help. Reducing turfgrass and adding native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees to your site can improve habitat quality and help connect isolated habitat patches across a neighborhood.

Remove invasive species

One of the most important first steps in managing a property of any size is identifying and removing invasive plants such as common buckthorn or garlic mustard. 

Although removal can be time consuming and may require continued effort over several years, few actions offer greater ecological benefits. In many cases, native vegetation will begin to recover once invasive competition is reduced.

Early action also saves work in the long run. Removing invasive plants when they first appear is far easier than trying to manage established and widespread infestations later.

Invasive species management is also a great way to begin working with your neighbors. Coordinated efforts to identify, report and remove invasive species can help limit their spread while building awareness and momentum in your community.

Create and maintain habitat diversity

In addition to plant diversity, healthy habitats are also full of rich structural diversity. Native ecosystems are made up of layers. From grasses and wildflowers near the ground to fruit-bearing shrubs and mature overstory canopy trees, structural diversity creates a dynamic environment that supports a wide variety of wildlife.

Here are a few habitat features to consider protecting or adding where appropriate and safe:

Native wildflowers and grasses 

Few landscape features attract attention quite like a native pollinator garden. Native wildflowers provide essential nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators, while native grasses offer seed and cover for songbirds and other animals. Pollinator gardens also improve soil health, enhance water infiltration, and help reduce stormwater runoff and erosion.

Choosing a variety of species to provide blooms from spring through fall can provide season-long benefits. When neighbors or communities incorporate these plantings together, they can create valuable habitat corridors across the landscape.

Tree and shrub diversity 

A mix of native trees and shrubs provides food, shelter and nesting habitat for a wide range of wildlife. Diversity also makes landscapes more resilient by reducing the risk that a single pest or disease (such as emerald ash borer or oak wilt) will cause widespread loss. 

Different species also provide food at different times of the year. Fruits and berries produced by trees and shrubs provide important late-summer and early-fall forage for songbirds building fat reserves needed for migration. Nuts such as acorns and hickory offer energy-dense food that is especially important in fall and winter for mammals like deer and squirrels, as well as birds such as blue jays, wood ducks and white-breasted nuthatches.

Large-diameter trees 

Mature trees are especially valuable habitat features. They provide important vertical structure, store carbon, and offer nesting sites, roosting locations, foraging habitat and cavities for many birds and mammals. 

Trees larger than 18 inches in diameter are particularly important for wildlife, though trees larger than 12 inches also provide meaningful habitat benefits and should be retained whenever possible.

Conifers

Native conifer trees can provide year-round shelter for wildlife, especially during Minnesota’s harsh winters. Conifers also offer unique food resources and nesting materials, supporting additional wildlife species and increasing structural diversity.

Cavity trees, snags and deadwood

When safety allows, retaining standing dead trees (called snags) can greatly benefit wildlife. Snags provide nesting, denning, roosting and foraging for numerous species including woodpeckers, songbirds, flying squirrels and bats.

Logs, fallen branches and brush piles are more than just “messes.” They help retain moisture, support soil health and provide shelter and cover for many species. Amphibians — especially salamanders, wood frogs and gray treefrogs — often rely on the cool, damp conditions created by decaying wood.

Streambanks and shorelines 

Working with our neighbors to preserve or restore our natural shorelines with native vegetation and woody material can improve water quality, reduce erosion and support wildlife.

These areas provide nesting habitat for wildlife like waterfowl and turtles, and help sustain aquatic food webs. Lakes, ponds and riparian corridors are also essential stopover habitats for migrating birds. Large trees retained near shorelines are frequently used as nesting sites by raptors such as eagles and osprey that fish in nearby water bodies.

Small actions add up

Not every landowner will have the same goals, space or opportunities. But nearly every property has the potential to contribute something to the health of the surrounding ecosystem. Often, simple conversations with neighbors can spark cooperative efforts that expand and strengthen habitat throughout the community. 

Every backyard, woodlot and shoreline can play a role in supporting biodiversity and strengthening habitat connections. And when communities work together, even small actions can add up to lasting benefits for wildlife and ecosystem health.