The importance of nontimber values [of forests] is dramatized in the provocative assertion that modern civilization could get along without wood, but not without forests. S.T. Dana

Forests & Wildlife What are the major forest types, how do they differ, and how do they relate to wildlife populations? How do forest structure and composition affect wildlife? What are the pros and cons of forest management practices for wildlife?

Forests & Wildlife How does forest ownership (private v. public) affect wildlife management? How have forests and their management changed? What are the major issues related to forests & wildlife? Who cares?

Forests & Wildlife Forest v. rangeland –>40 cm/yr rainfall –Vegetation structure Layers & closure –Dominant vegetation: trees* Florida confusing –Overstory tree density Basal area (ft 2 /acre; m 2 /ha) –DBH (4.5 ft/1.37 m) Coniferous v. deciduous –Softwood v. hardwood Evergreen

Forests & Wildlife Forest types of U.S. & Canada –Tropical moist broadleaf –Tropical dry broadleaf –Temperate broadleaf & mixed –Temperate coniferous –Boreal/taiga

Forests & Wildlife Tropical moist broadleaf Tropical dry broadleaf –Puerto Rico Mahogany, ebony, mamey, mangrove, Spanish cedar, Sierra palm Acacia, yucca, cacti, royal palm –Hawaii Ohia Koa

Forests & Wildlife Temperate broadleaf & mixed –Eastern U.S. & Canada Oaks, hickories, maples, beech, basswood, buckeye, birches, (chestnut) Ashes, elm, cottonwood, sweetgum, water tupelo, sycamore Hemlock, pines, red cedar, spruces, firs Best fall foliage

Forests & Wildlife Temperate coniferous –Southeastern, Middle Atlantic, & Florida Sand Pine Gum, cypress, bald cypress, oaks, magnolia, ashes, elm Pines –Piney Woods Oaks Pines –Rocky Mountain & Pacific Coast Oaks Firs, spruces, hemlock, red cedar, cedar, pines, sequoia

Forests & Wildlife Boreal/taiga (northern coniferous) –Canada & Alaska Aspen, birch Spruces, firs, tamarack/larch (Smokey Gold), pines

Forests & Wildlife Major forest types of the Southeast (Dickson 2001) –Pine plantation (often slash in FL) –Natural pine (longleaf, slash, shortleaf, loblolly) –Oak-pine –Upland hardwood (oaks) –Bottomland hardwood (tupelo, cypress, sycamore) David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia, William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International,

Forests & Wildlife Forest Wildlife (U.S Fish & Wildlife Service)

Forests & Wildlife History of the forests –Dynamic Fire Wind Floods Ice Insects & Disease People Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Andrew J. Boone, South Carolina Forestry Commission,

Forests & Wildlife History of the North American forests –Regional differences in trends

Forests & Wildlife History of the Southeast forests (Dickson 2001) Upland Hardwood Natural Pine Bottomland Hardwood Oak-Pine Pine Plantation

Forests & Wildlife Status of the North American forests

Forests & Wildlife Status of the North American forests –~25-38% of U.S. (~ million ha) 75% east of 100 th meridian 64% commercial (v. industrial) –>1.4 m 3 of wood/ha/yr –Not in park, wilderness, or other non-timber uses –~45% of Canada is forest (401 million ha) 50% commercial

Forests & Wildlife Status of the Southeast forests (Dickson 2001) –~50% of land is forest (~87 million ha) 94% commercial timberland –Composition 37% upland hardwoods 15% bottomland hardwoods 14% oak-pine 18% natural pine 16% pine plantation –Age/size 29% seedling-sapling 26% poletimber 45% sawtimber William D. Boyer, USDA Forest Service, Bob Farrah, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Forest ownership in U.S. (Yonce 1983) –Public: 55.3 million ha Federal: 42.8 million ha State: 9.6 million ha Local: 2.9 million ha –Private: million ha Forest industry: 27.5 million ha Other: million ha

Forests & Wildlife Forest ownership in Southeast (Dickson 2001) –Public: ~8.5 million ha –Private: ~72.5 million ha Forest industry: ~16.6 million ha Other: ~55.9 million ha Ownership affects management & use

Forests & Wildlife Federal –National Forest System USDA Forest Service –Multiple-use –USDI-BLM Multiple-use –Others: parks, refuges, etc. State Forest System –Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) Forest Service (Division of Forestry) –Others: parks, etc.

Forests & Wildlife Economic value of forest products –Saw logs, veneer, pulpwood, fuelwood, charcoal, Christmas trees, maple syrup, medicinal plants, other non-wood products, & others –Nationwide Billions/yr! –Southeast (Dickson 2001) 1984: $6,100,000,000 –10% of economy –10% of workforce Replacing Northwest as largest producer today

David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

Jamie Welsh,,

North Carolina State University Archives, North Carolina State University,

David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

Chuck Bargeron, The University of Georgia,

David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

Chris Schnepf, University of Idaho,

David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

Forests & Wildlife Issues & Management Wood products Disease & insects Roads Recreation –Off-road vehicles (ORV’s) Billy Humphries, Forest Resource Consultants, Inc.,

Forests & Wildlife Issues & Management Grazing livestock –Silvopasture & agroforestry Overabundant herbivores Fire –Fuel loads Water Ownership Chris Schnepf, University of Idaho,

Forests & Wildlife Forestry –Silviculture Silvics –Sustained yield of wood products Pinchot & Roosevelt –Multiple-use USDA Forest Service - Rocky Mountain Region Archives, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Forests & Management –Structure Vertical Horizontal –Composition –Scale Spatial Temporal Bob Farrah, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Silvicultural –Harvest –Regeneration –Tending/Intermediate Treatments

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Harvest –None (preservation) –Even-aged –Uneven-aged (selective) –Other considerations Rotation time Cutting cycle Species –Shade tolerant v. intolerant species –Product Site index

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Even-aged harvest management –Clearcuts –Shelterwood cuts –Seed tree cuts

Philip McDonald, USDA Forest Service,

Scott Roberts, Mississippi State University,

John D. Hodges, Mississippi State University,

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Uneven-aged (selective) harvest management –Single-tree selection cut –Group-selection cut

Bob Frank,

Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Even-aged Uneven-aged Stands

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Even-aged

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Uneven-aged

Forests & Wildlife Comparison of Management Techniques CharacteristicEven-AgedUneven-Aged Harvest MethodClearcut Shelterwood Seed tree Single-tree selection Group selection Type of treesUsually shade intolerantShade tolerant Stand appearanceUniform tree height Often aesthetically unattractive Variation in tree height Aesthetically acceptable Forest appearancePatchwork of various agesAesthetically acceptable Large expanse of uniformly mixed sizes of trees Type of wildlife useMobile species adapted to early successional and mixed successional stages Species adapted to mature forest conditions

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Regeneration –Natural (advance) Even-aged harvest management –Clearcuts –Shelterwood cuts –Seed tree cuts –Coppice Uneven-aged harvest management –Single-tree selection cut –Group-selection cut –Coppice James N. Long, Utah State University, Edward L. Barnard, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Regeneration –Artificial Site preparation –Mechanical –Chemical –Prescribed fire Site Improvement –Fertilizer –Drainage & irrigation Direct seeding Propagule Monocultures & disturbance John D. Hodges, Mississippi State University, James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Management Techniques Tending/Intermediate Treatments –Herbicides –Pesticides –Thinning –Pruning –Prescribed fire –Sanitation cuts –Salvage cuts –Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) USDA Forest Service - Rocky Mountain Region Archives, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Special Habitat Features Evergreen cover –Thermal & escape cover E.g., deer yards William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International, Denny Ward, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Special Habitat Features Live den trees, wolf/legacy trees, snags, logs, & course woody debris Chris Schnepf, University of Idaho, Jerry A. Payne, USDA ARS, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Archives, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,

Forests & Wildlife Special Habitat Features Mast, browse, & forage plants –Selective cutting –Coppice –Hard v. soft mast Jerry A. Payne, USDA ARS, David J. Moorhead, The University of Georgia,

Forests & Wildlife Special Habitat Features Forest edges & “brushy” areas Billy Humphries, Forest Resource Consultants, Inc.,

Forests & Wildlife Special Habitat Features Rights-of-way Max Williamson, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Special Habitat Features Openings Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Special Habitat Features Water & riparian areas Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Large Managed Forests Generally managed at the landscape scale –Cut size, type, shape, amount of edge, fragmentation, interspersion, & connectivity 80 year old forestNew cuts40 year old forest

Forests & Wildlife Large managed forests v. woodlots –Scale

Forests & Wildlife What about old growth? –Unique –Irreplaceable?

Forests & Wildlife What about old growth? –Core areas & corridors –Soften fragmentation Old Growth Age = 60 Age = 70 Age = 0 Age = 10Age = 40 Age = 50 Age = 20 Age = 30 After Harris 1984 Old Growth Age = 60 Age = 20 Age = 50 Age = 10Age = 40 Age = 0 Age = 70 Age = 30

Forests & Wildlife Forest fires –Smokey the Bear v. Let it burn Dale Wade, USDA Forest Service,

Forests & Wildlife Single species v. biodiversity management? (U.S Fish & Wildlife Service)

Forests & Wildlife Heterogeneity in the forest landscape –Ruffed grouse v. ovenbirds & spotted owls

Forests & Wildlife Heterogeneity in the forest landscape –Plantations & even-aged management as monocultures William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International,

Forests & Wildlife Can wildlife and the production of forest products coexist? Do we need forestry? The case of the Tropics –Are Protected Areas enough?

Forests & Wildlife Incentive Programs Federal/Farm Bill –USDA Forest Service Community Forest & Open Space Program (CFOSP) Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP) Cooperative Forest Innovation Partnership Grants (CFIPG) Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) Other “farm” programs

Forests & Wildlife Incentive Programs Federal –USDA Forest Service Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) –Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (1978) –Farm Bill? State –Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Landowner Assistance Program (LAP)

Forests & Wildlife Food, cover, water, & space Interspersion & connectivity Disturbance So what?