What is a Forest

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What is a Forest
WHAT IS A FOREST?
Only trees? A community? An ecosystem?
Includes animals? Fish? Streams lakes? Houses?
How big of an area? Regeneration areas? Plantatio
ns? Christmas tree farm? Ecological processes lik
e 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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ANOTHER DEFINITION
Forest - An ecosystem characterized by a more or
less dense and extensive tree cover, often
consisting of stands varying in characteristics
such as species composition, structure, age
class, and associated processes, and commonly
including meadows, streams, fish, and wildlife.
- Note forest include special kinds such as
industrial forests, non-industrial private
forests, plantations, public forests, protection
forests, and urban forests, as well as parks and
wilderness. -Society of American Foresters
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FOREST DISTRIBUTION
FOREST DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES
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FOREST HISTORY
Forest
History ...
Cut ...
Burn ...
Farm ...
Recovery ...
Source Michigans Forests. DNR. 32 pp.
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EARLY LOGGING LAND CLEARING
Much of the forest was simply cut and burned for
farms. Pines and other softwoods were harvested f
or lumber for growing cities. Softwoods float
better than hardwoods, so could be river run.
The hardwoods were cut in the second wave for
charcoal, mine props, car parts, furniture, and
other products. Did you know the monetary value o
f the wood harvested from Michigan exceeded the
monetary value of all the gold taken from
California during the gold rush?
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PRESETTLEMENT FOREST COVER
Source Great Lakes Assessment web site
http//198.87.4.38/gla/index.htm
Early settlement vegetation was obtained from the
Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Vegetation
mapped by P.J. Comer et al. (1995) using General
Land Office surveys dated 1816-1856.
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CURRENT FOREST COVER
Source Great Lakes Assessment web site
http//198.87.4.38/gla/index.htm
U.S. Forest Service. AVHRR satellite data
collected in 1990, and processed by the Southern
Forest Experiment Station.
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U.P. FOREST ANDLAND COVER CLASS-1993
Source FIA-1993Excel FIA/LandUseCoUP
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U.P. TIMBERLAND BY FOREST TYPE-1993
Source FIA-1993Excel FIA/TimberUP-Type
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U.P. TIMBERLANDBY OWNERSHIP-1993
Source FIA-1993Excel FIA/Up Owner NonForest
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VOLUME BY SPECIES GROUP 1980 1993
Note X-axis labels are species groups, not
forest types
Source FIA-1993Excel MWM/Vol Species UP
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GROWTH, HARVEST, AND MORTALITY 1980-1993
SOFTWOODS
HARDWOODS
Source FIA-1993Excel MWM/UP Growth
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harvest
How much wood is harvested in the U.P. each year?
Annual U.P. Harvest About 1.7 million cords
Source USFS FIA, 1992, Periodic Annual
Removals, 1980-1992
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Growth
How much wood is GROWNin the U.P. each year?
Annual U.P. Growth About 3.7 million cords
Source USFS FIA, 1992, Periodic Annual
Removals, 1980-1992
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Grow Stock
How much total wood is STANDING in U.P. forest?
Standing Wood Volume in the U.P.
About 156 million cords!
Around the world 4.7 times!
Source USFS FIA, 1992, Periodic Annual
Removals, 1980-1992
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10 MOST COMMON TREES IN THE U.P.-1993
Source FIA-1993Excel MWM/Common Trees
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FOREST TYPE DISTRIBUTIONWESTERN EASTERN U.P.
Source FIA-1993Excel FIA/TimberCo-Type
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WHY ARE PRIVATE FOREST HOLDINGS SO IMPORTANT?
Personal reasons. Well take a look at the U.P.
a bit later.
Community reasons.
The land is mine, said the Creator. You may
not sell it permanently. You are merely my
tenants and sharecroppers.
- Leviticus 2523
If we are going to continue using more and more
wood, then we have a moral responsibility to grow
more wood to meet that demand. The good news
is that we can do just that without destroying
our natural forests in the process.
- Dr. Jess Daniels
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COMMUNITY REASONS
Our forest-based economy. Jobs, schools, roads,
etc.
Wildlife populations extend beyond property
boundaries.
Wood supply. People use more wood each year.
Future generations of people.
Visual quality and sense of place.
Watershed protection/water quality.
Maintenance of lifestyle and traditions.
Lets take a look at some of these reasons in a
little more detail . . .
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WOOD CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED STATES
2 MILLION BOX CARS ENCIRCLING THE EARTH!
Source Genetics Workshop Notes, 1995
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REDUCED TIMBERLAND BASE
WHY?
DROP IN TIMBERLAND ACREAGE IN THE U.S.
467 million acres in 1990
DROP IN PER CAPITA TIMBERLAND ACREAGE
1.88 acres in 1990
Source Genetics Workshop Notes, 1995
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OUR COLLECTIVE ECONOMY

• Michigan forest industry adds over 9 billion
  each year.
  
• Supports 150,000 jobs.
• Timber sales provide millions to roads and
  schools, and other local government
  expenditures.
  
• There are 367 primary wood-using mills and an
  additional 1,733 manufacturers.
  
• Is vital to the Upper Peninsula economy.

MDNR Wood Products in Michigan, 1996.
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FORESTS AS A LIFESTYLE CHOICE AND QUALITY
ENVIRONMENT
watersheds
people
visual
Hunting/tradition
wildlife
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TIMBERLAND ACREAGE OWNERSHIP in the UPPER
PENINSULA
County/Municipal
PRIVATE 5,076,800 acres
State
INDIVIDUAL 2,826,221 acres
Federal
Total Timberland8,398,300 acres
OthersClubs/Assns
Total U.P. Area10,509,100 acres
Partnerships
Corporate
Source PNIF-1994Excel MWM/PNIFac-OwnClass
Note FIA-1994 shows PNIF acreage to be
2,318,600 acres
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TIMBERLAND ACREAGE - U.P. OWNER OCCUPATION
1000 Acres
PNIF Area - 2,826,221 Acres
Source PNIF-1994Excel MWM/PNIFac-Various
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PNIF OWNERSHIPIN MICHIGAN
FOREST HELD BY PRIVATE,NON-INDUSTRIAL LANDOWNERS
Only counties which are at least 25 forested are
included.
Source FIA-1993Excel MWM/MI-Co-PNIF
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REASONS TO OWN FOREST LAND
MICHIGAN-WIDE RecreationPart of ResidenceEsth
etic EnjoymentPart of FarmFarm or Domestic
UseLand InvestmentNo AnswerOtherEstate to
Pass OnTimber Production
UPPER PENINSULA RecreationPart of Residence E
sthetic Enjoyment No Answer Farm or Domestic Use
Other Land Investment Estate to Pass On Timbe
r Production Part of Farm
1 in TermsofAcres
Source PNIF-1994Excel MWM/Reason to Own
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FOREST TENUREUPPER LOWER PENINSULA
The UP has a higher percentage of acres in new
ownerships and the oldest ownerships.
90s
80s
50s
70s
N/A
40s
60s
Decade of Acquisition
Source PNIF-1994Excel MWM/Tenure
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AVERAGE SIZEOF OWNERSHIP
All MI SLP NLP EUP WUP
UP and WUP tend to be larger probably due to
large industrial ownerships and further distances
from human population centers.
Source PNIF-1994Excel MWM/PNIFac-various
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TO HARVEST OR NOT?
For All Michigan
Source PNIF-1994Tables 20 23