Transcript Forest Ecology

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FOREST ECOLOGY
“Conservation is a state of
harmony between men and land.”
“A Sand County Almanac”
Aldo Leopold - 1949
WHAT IS A FOREST?
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Only trees? A community? An ecosystem?
Includes animals? Fish? Streams & lakes? Houses?
How big of an area?
Regeneration areas? Plantations? Christmas tree farm?
Ecological processes like nutrient or energy cycling?
“That portion of a geographically large area dominated by
trees. As an ecosystem, it is meant to include all plants and
sometimes the animals dependent upon the trees and plants.
Smaller area of largely homogenous tree compositions are
called stands”.
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FOREST ECOLOGY BASICS
COMPOSITION
STRUCTURE
FUNCTION
COMPOSITION
Genetic Diversity - Gene Pools
Species, Number of Species &
Species Abundance
Populations of Animals & Plants
Species Associations & Community
Diversity
Ecosystem Diversity
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STRUCTURE
Vertical & Horizontal
Spatial Heterogeneity & Density
Edge Effect
Islands & Fragmentation
Dead Trees & Snags
Micro-Environments
Appearance
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VERTICAL STRUCTURE
Vertical structure refers to the “ladder-like”
arrangement in a forest.
Co-Dominant
Dominant
Intermediate
Shrubs
Co-Dominant
Intermediate
Suppressed
Ground Cover
Adapted from Baughman, et al., 1993. Woodland Stewardship. P. 17.
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HORIZONTAL STRUCTURE
Stand density and crown cover within timber stands
and across the landscape is horizontal structure.
40%
80%
100%
Adapted from Baughman, et al., 1993. Woodland Stewardship. P. 20.
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EDGES, SNAGS, AND
FRAGMENTATION
Edge Effect
Forest Fragmentation
Large Snags
Green. 1995. Birds and Forests. P.55. UM-Cartography Lab.
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FUNCTION
Energy Capture & Trophics
Weathering
Mineral & Nutrient Cycling
Water Movement
Temperature & Humidity
Succession & Disturbance
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ENERGY CAPTURE
Energy Capture
10%
Trophic Levels
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CYCLING
Ecosystem
Gains
Losses
Nutrient, Mineral, and Water Cycling
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SUCCESSION
Grasses
& Forbs
Shrubs &
Saplings
Young
Forest
Mature Old
Forest Forest
Wisconsin DNR, 1995. Wisconsin’s Biodiversity as a Management Issue. P. 22.
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DISTURBANCE
Forested ecosystems are dependent upon disturbance for
renewal and to provide biological diversity. The plants and
animals in a forest don’t know whether the disturbance is
caused by natural events or human-caused events.
Natural Events
Human-Caused Events
Fire
Wind
Animals
Flooding
Diseases/Insects
Fire
Harvest
Pollution
Development
Exotic Introductions
FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE
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Woodland wildlife is managed by manipulating the forest
to provide the kind and variety of habitat needed.
Forestry practices in the U.P. have many effects:
• encourages plant diversity
• encourages forest regeneration
• causes multiple age distributions
• provides “edge”
• creates horizontal and vertical structure
• adds more micro-environments
• accelerates system metabolism & nutrient cycling
IDEAS FOR YOUR LAND
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In most parts of the country, forest is a small part of the
landscape. In the U.P., forest is the dominant cover type.
This causes resource managers to rearrange priorities for
habitat management that differ from the general opinion.
1. Modify timber harvests (time & space).
2. Leave large snags & large fallen logs.
3. “Create” future tree cavities.
4. Construct brush piles.
5. Mix areas of varying vertical structure.
6. Create small openings.