BI 237
Woody Plants
Forest Sustainability Assignment
In 2010, the Maine Forest Service (MFS) published the Maine State Forest
Assessment and Strategies, an “analysis of forest-related conditions, trends, threats, and
opportunities, and strategies to achieve state forest policy goals.” You can find it at the
MFS website or on the course website. The 229-page document is a fount of interesting
information. In this assignment, you will analyze and summarize a few key points
involving forest sustainability.
Maine has the largest contiguous block of undeveloped forestland east of the
Mississippi, and its 90% forest cover is the highest of any state in the country. In 1999,
the Maine Legislature identified seven criteria of forest sustainability: soil productivity,
water quality, timber supply and quality, aesthetic qualities, biological diversity,
accountability of forest owners and managers, and recreation. The criteria in the MFS
document cover these bases but are enumerated slightly differently. You will take a look
at three of the MFS sustainability criteria: 1) biological diversity, 2) productive capacity,
and 6) socioeconomic benefits. We will treat these in reverse order.
Socioeconomic benefits (pp 65-82)
1. Read pp. 65-66. In a few sentences, discuss:
What types of wood products does Maine export, and to where?
What types of wood products does Maine import, and why?
2. Look at table 2.6.4 on page 73, and in a few sentences, discuss:
During the four years reported, what percentage of wood products’ capital investment has
been dedicated to paper manufacturing? Why do MFS analysts think this amount is
declining? Why do they think the investment in furniture processing is declining?
3. Now look at the graph on page 104.
If you had to make a prediction, how will the mix of forest products change over the next
20 years, and why?
Productive capacity of forest ecosystems (pp 37-43)
4. Look at Fig 2.2.1 on p 37:
About how much has the acreage of Maine forest changed since 1750?
5. See growth:harvest ratio by region, in Table 2.2.1, p. 39, and the paragraph below.
Why were growth:harvest ratios so low for softwoods in the north in 1995?
Why are growth:harvest ratios depressed for hardwoods in the north in 2006?
Overall, in 2006, how did growth rates of Maine forests compare with harvest rates?
Conservation of Biological Diversity (pp. 11-36)
The MFS uses 5 indicators to evaluate sustenance of biodiversity:
 Number and distribution of large diameter trees, snags, and logs
 Forest stand structure
 Size, distribution, and representation of protected areas
 Conversion, parcelization, and roading of forest land
 Degree to which forest mgt is consonant w/ natural forest dynamics
BI 237
Woody Plants
Forest Sustainability Assignment
6. Look at Table 2.1.3 on page 14, and the boxes below.
In 1995, what percent of Maine forestland conditions (=forested plots, 24’radius)
contained at least one living tree greater than 15” dbh?
What happened to the frequency of such plots from 1995-2006?
7. Look at Table 2.1.11, on p.33
Which forest type has the largest percent acreage?
What percent of acres of that forest type contains trees approximately 90 years or older?
What percent of acres of that forest type contain trees about 30 years or younger?
8. Consider Fig 2.1.1 (p 15) and 2.1.3 (p19)
Refer to these figures and the discussion on pp. 15-18 to explain in a few sentences what
measures might be taken in Maine forests, when consistent with landowner objectives, to
conserve biological diversity.
Are Maine forests Sustainable?
9. Explain how your answer to this question might vary depending on whether you were
primarily interested in forest industry employment, the growth: harvest ratio, or
biodiversity.
Prepare for visit by Plum Creek representative
On Friday October 21st, Mark Doty, Community Affairs Manager of Plum Creek, will be
giving a guest lecture. You can prepare for his visit by looking at the Plum Creek
website. Also take a look at Changing Timberland Ownership in the Northern Forest
and Implications for Biodiversity (2005), by Hagan et al., published by the Manomet
Center for Conservation Sciences. You can download this report from the course website
or directly from Manomet.
10. Give an example of a courteous question that you’d like to ask Mr. Doty about Plum
Creek’s objectives, priorities, or management practices in their Maine forest holdings.
Assignment due by email, Wednesday, October 19