rapid river schools forest ecology “conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.”...
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RapidRiver
SchoolsFOREST ECOLOGY
“Conservation is a state ofharmony between men and
land.”“A Sand County
Almanac” Aldo Leopold - 1949
RapidRiver
SchoolsWHAT IS A FOREST?
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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SchoolsFOREST ECOLOGY BASICS
COMPOSITIONSTRUCTUR
EFUNCTION
RapidRiver
SchoolsCOMPOSITION
Genetic Diversity - Gene Pools
Species, Number of Species & Species Abundance
Populations of Animals & Plants
Species Associations & Community Diversity
Ecosystem Diversity
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SchoolsSTRUCTURE
Vertical & Horizontal
Spatial Heterogeneity & Density
Edge Effect
Islands & Fragmentation
Dead Trees & Snags
Micro-Environments
Appearance
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SchoolsVERTICAL STRUCTURE
Vertical structure refers to the “ladder-like” arrangement in a forest.
Co-Dominant
Co-Dominant
Dominant
Intermediate Intermediate
SuppressedShrubs
Ground Cover
Adapted from Baughman, et al., 1993. Woodland Stewardship. P. 17.
RapidRiver
SchoolsHORIZONTAL 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.
RapidRiver
SchoolsEDGES, SNAGS, ANDFRAGMENTATION
Edge Effect
Forest FragmentationGreen. 1995. Birds and Forests. P.55. UM-Cartography Lab.
Large Snags
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SchoolsFUNCTION
Energy Capture & Trophics
Weathering
Mineral & Nutrient Cycling
Water Movement
Temperature & Humidity
Succession & Disturbance
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SchoolsENERGY CAPTUREEn
erg
y
Cap
ture
Trophic Levels
10%
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SchoolsCYCLING
Nutrient, Mineral, and Water Cycling
Gains Losses
Ecosystem
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SchoolsSUCCESSION
Grasses & Forbs
Shrubs &
Saplings
Young
Forest
Mature
Forest
Old Fores
tWisconsin DNR, 1995. Wisconsin’s Biodiversity as a Management Issue. P. 22.
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SchoolsDISTURBANCE
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
Fire
Wind
Animals
Flooding
Diseases/Insects
Human-Caused Events
Fire
Harvest
Pollution
Development
Exotic Introductions
RapidRiver
SchoolsFORESTRY AND WILDLIFE
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
RapidRiver
SchoolsIDEAS FOR YOUR LAND
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.
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.
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