Forestry
IAFNR MODULE 4
N AT U R A L R E S O U R C E S
Our Forests
• What is a Forest?
– Community of associated trees, shrubs, other plants, and animals that
interact and play a part in the ecosystem
• Historic thoughts of forests
– Enemy
• Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement
– Trees were a barrier for expansion and survival and had to be cleared
– Friend
• Valuable products to build wood homes and furniture
• Provided summer cooling (shade), and heat for winter (fuel)
• European shipping industry depended on America’s Forests
Today’s Forests
• How much is there?
– 33% of total US Land Area is covered by forests
• 1/3 of US forest and woodland is considered non-commercial forestland
– Not suitable for tree production (Ex: swamps, mountainous land, parks, and
preservation areas)
• Other 2/3 are commercial forests
– Capable of producing useful forest, but not all being used for this purpose
• Forest Regions
– In US, there are 860 species of trees
– Six major forest regions
West Coast Forests
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•
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Pacific coast from central California to Canada
Major Species: Douglas Fir, coast redwood,
Western red cedar, Sitka spruce, Sugar pine
Most lumber, softwood, polywood comes from this
region
Central Hardwoods
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From New York State to N. Georgia to W. Texas, to
N Minnesota
Major Species: Shortleaf pine, Virginia pine,
Eastern White Pine, Red Cedar, Birch, White Oak,
Hickory, Elm, White Ash, Red Maple
Northern Forests
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Maine south along the mountains to Georgia, also
northern Michigan and Minnesota
Major Species: Many Pines, Spruces, and Oaks,
White Cedar, Black Cherry, Walnut, and Birches
Western Forests
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Mountainous regions from SW Texas to Wyoming
Major Species: Ponderosa pine, Idaho White pine,
Sugar Pine, White fir, Western larch
Tropical Forests
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•
Southern Tips of Florida and Texas
Major Species: Mahogany, Mangrove, Bay Tree
Southern Forests
•
•
Coast of Virginia to Eastern Texas and Missouri
Major Species: Lobolly pine, Longleaf pine,
Shortleaf pine, Slash pine, Bald Cypress, Oaks,
Willow, Cottonwood
Forest Regions
Key
•
West Coast
Forests
•
Western Forests
•
Central
Hardwoods
•
Tropical Forests
•
Northern Forests
•
Southern Forests
Indiana’s
Forestland
Morgan-Monroe
State Forest
• Indiana has 4.7 million
acres of forestland
• 95% of Indiana’s Forests
are classified as
hardwood forest types
•
Oak, Hickory, Elm, Ash,
Cottonwood
• Rankings
•
9th nationally in total
lumber production
•
3rd in hardwood lumber
production
http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/4816.htm
Forest Products and Benefits
• Wood
– Different grades of lumber
• Shop and Factory grade:
Furniture, barrels, cabinets, etc.
• Structural grade: Joists, planks,
laminated wood
• Yard wood grade: Boards and
finish lumber
• Converted Wood
– Products like paper, charcoal,
sponges, artificial hair, and
imitation vanilla
– Almost impossible to spend a day
and not work with a wood product
• Benefits
– Climate Moderation
• Temperature can be almost 8
degrees cooler in a forest
• Provides shade in sun and break
from harsh winds
– Water and Soil Conservation
• Forests are most effective
vegetative cover for soil and water
control
– Wildlife Habitats and Recreation
Forest Management
• Measurements
– Special units of measure in forest management
– Monitoring Tree diameters, Heights, and Timber Volume
• Cuttings
– Intermediate Cuttings
• Harvests taken from trees before planned maturity
– Most likely for tree improvement, sanitation, or salvage
– Harvest Cuttings
• Cuttings for production
– Whole or partial removal of trees for production and seeding
Forest Management
• Reproducing Forests
– Seeding
• Natural
– Allow trees to reseed themselves in area naturally
• Direct
– Apply tree seeds to the desired area by hand, spreaders, or planes and helicopters
– Cuttings
• Replanting cuttings of certain tree species that grow readily by this method
– Seedlings
• Planting nursery produced seedlings
– Quickest method, but also requires the most labor
Forest
Enemies
Our Forests are fighting to
grow and stay alive!!
Image retrieved from: http://www.fs.fed.us/projects/hfi/field-guide/web/page09.php
Forest Enemies
Insects
Disease
• Insects have been known to kill
more trees than any other forest
enemy
• Forest Pathology is the study of
tree diseases
– Common Insect Enemies
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•
•
•
•
•
Bark Borers
Defoliators
Wood Borers (Termites)
Tip Feeders
Sap Suckers
Root Feeders
– Non-infectious diseases
• Caused by environmental problems
– Infectious diseases
• Caused by parasites
– Fungus Caused Disease
• Spores spread disease through large
areas
– Stem and Root diseases cause the
most damage
Forest Enemies
Wildlife
Environment
• Any animal living in the forest gets
its food from the forest
• Can range from minor to extreme
– Wildlife population determines the
damage on the forest
• When population is great not only
does the forest suffer, but so do
animals
– Extreme Example
• A whole forest is wiped out from a
tornado
– Minor Example
• Tree limbs have broken off from ice
storm effects
• Good Forest management is the
only way to minimize this kind of
damage
FIRE!!
A Forest’s greatest enemy!
Image retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weathergang/wp/2013/10/17/report-western-wildfires-growing-more-intense-insurers-deeply-concerned/
As a Management Tool
• Prescribed Fire
– Planned fire used as a part of
forest management plan
– Produces many benefits for the
forest, wildlife, and people
• Reduces wildfire hazard
• Removes undesirable trees
• Controls forest diseases
• How does it work?
– Trained foresters start and
control these fires
• Small areas at a time
• Only performed in specific
humidity and temperature levels
Image retrieved from:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/conf/landmanagement/planning
/?cid=fsm9_029220
Wildfires
Image retrieved from:
http://www.elitefire.co.u
k/news/basics-firetriangle/
• Causes
– The Fire Triangle
• Types of wildfires
– Ground Fire
• Common in wet, bog type areas
– Surface Fire
• Most common type of fire
– Crown Fire
• Most violent and dangerous
• Prevention
– Smokey Bear Campaign
Image retrieved from:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot/
2013 Colorado Wildfires
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFcZ_RsZtgE
References
• Camp, W., & Heath-Camp, B. (2009) Managing our Natural
Resources. New York: Delmar.
• 7 News– Denver Channel. (June 12, 2013). Black Forest Fire
burns 7500-8000 acres. Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFcZ_RsZtgE