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in a slow draw-down period, especially in the eastern section of the Lake. Riparian vegetation, especially cottonwoods and willows, will naturally become established upslope from the dike. The restoration map shows the distribution of these created "green-tree" environments. The restoration process can be accelerated by actively planting willow and cottonwood cuttings and planting seeds and/or seedlings of oaks, boxelder, ash, and button willow in the appropriate locations. Benefits to Wildlife The riparian forest, with its multi-layered canopy, provides food material and a rich, diversified habitat of shelter, shade, and nesting sites for numerous kinds of wildlife. Riparian forests are extremely productive forest types with bimodal bioproductivity (Dawson et. al. 1985). In the spring and summer, the foliage, bark, and wood of the native oaks, willows, and cottonwoods serve as a food source for many species of insects and other invertebrates. Small passerine birds -- flycatchers, titmice, wrens, vireos, warblers and orioles--feed on these invertebrates. In the autumn, acorns, seeds, nuts,and fruits serve as an important source of food for many wildlife species, such as woodpeckers, quail, squirrels, deer, and jays. By late fall, the forest essentially shuts down, trees become dormant, bioproductivity lessens, and many species of migratory birds depart for tropical climates. The corridor restoration along South Tracy Lake and "Greentree Units" will provide additional cover for a variety of resident and wintering species of birds. The extensive riparian restoration will dramatically improve forestbird habitat on the Buckeye Ranch. Roosting blackbirds, winter sparrows,jays, titmice, woodpeckers, and others would colonize these forests through time. Studies in similarly structured forests in the valley pointed to forest structure, age of the trees, and narrowness of the forest as critical Buckeye Ranch Resource Plan (November, 1993) 204