The Temperate

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The Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome
Robinson Forest, Eastern Kentucky
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Ecological importance of forests Forests are
WATERSHEDS A watershed is the land base
surrounding and draining downhill into a
particular river or stream
Maroon Bells watershed above Aspen, Colorado
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Forested Watersheds

• They absorb, hold, and gradually release H2O to
  agricultural and urban areas downstream
• Forested watersheds control erosion to reduce
  sediment in streams and lakes, and reduce
  flooding

Daniel Boone National Forest, KY
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Forests Regulate Climate

• Up to 80 (tropical forests) of moisture in air
  is from evaporation and transpiration of moisture
  from trees
• local - wet and cool around trees where otherwise
  hot and dry
• without trees, rain causes soil erosion and
  fertility drops
• global - forests absorb solar radiation near
  equator
• cut trees --gt radiation heat reflected --gt
• changes wind, precipitation, and temperature
  worldwide
• general - trees absorb CO2, add O2, cleansing air
• cutting and burning tree releases CO2 into air,
  and CO2 is lost from exposed soil - no tree to
  absorb that CO2

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Forests regulate both humidity and temperature
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Forests as filters

• Trees absorb noise
• Trees filter out pollution (as gasses are
  exchanged)
• Forests help us clear our minds
• provide solitude, beauty, and nourish human
  spirit

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Forests provide biodiversity

• Forests contain a greater diversity of wildlife
  than any other terrestrial biome
• How diverse are the forests of eastern Kentucky
  compared to the rest of the U.S. and other parts
  of the world?

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What is the value of a tree?

• Economists (e.g., timber company) - engage in
  cost-benefit analysis to determine if money can
  be made on lumber and paper
• An average tree in the eastern US might be worth
  about 750 for its wood products value
• The costs to produce the products involve
• Purchasing the standing timber
• Harvest costs
• Transportation costs
• Processing costs
• Marketing and delivery costs

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Whats a tree worth ALIVE?

• If you could take all the goods and services
  produced by ONE average tree over 50 years
• 31, 250 of O2
• 62, 500 in pollution reduction
• 31, 250 in soil fertility
• 37, 500 in water recycling and humidity control
• 31, 250 in wildlife habitat
• 2,500 in protein
• Total 196,250

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Real costs tree harvest?

• We justify forest practices on a SHORT TERM basis
  without considering value of ecological benefits
  that support other economic activities and help
  sustain the biosphere
• We allow timber companies to cut our trees
  without collecting for nearly 200,000 in
  benefits that tree might otherwise provide so
  that they can make 750.
• Need to consider the external costs (lost
  benefits)

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The timber industry

• Hardwoods
• mostly deciduous oaks, hickories, cherry
• furniture, flooring, cabinets
• The native, climax species in eastern Kentucky
• Softwoods
• mostly evergreen, conifers pines, firs, spruce
• paper, construction timber, plywood
• High volume needed
• Fast growing
• High economic gain

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What constitutes a forest?

• CLOSED FOREST - closed canopy
• 62 of forests
• OPEN FOREST WOODLANDS
• abundant trees but canopy not closed
• Remaining 38
• Broadleaf forest 2/3 of worlds forests
• Coniferous forest 1/3

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Secondary vs. Old Growth

• SECONDARY FORESTS - resulting from secondary
  ecological succession after
• logging
• clearing for agriculture and abandoned
• Mining
• OLD GROWTH - uncut, virgin forest, resulting in
• massive trees
• hundreds to thousands of years old
• e.g., Douglas fir live to about 250 years old
• Hemlock, Giant Sequoia, Coastal Redwoods live to
  1,000s of years old
• Pine in Southeastern US live to only 80 years
  old
• Thousands of years old

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• Coastal redwood in California
• Yellow Birch in Michigan?

• Tree trunk in Blanton Forest in southeastern
  Kentucky
• Giant Sequoias in California?

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Old Growth Forests provide

• - greater diversity of plants
• - greater diversity of animals
• tree cavities!!
• Wood ducks, squirrels, raccoons,
• food production
• Acorn production is much higher in older trees.
• Food production for wildlife is generally greater
  in old growth

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Forest Edge good or bad?

• EDGE habitat in treefall gap vs. man-made
• forest management of commercially important trees
• - most are shade-intolerant (need clear open
  area to grow)
• shade tolerant - typically the climax species
• - KY CHESTNUT, OAK, POPULAR
• - Lilly Cornett Woods - Letcher Co. near
  Whitesburg

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Only you can appreciate forest fires

• Fires
• Smokey the Bear!!
• once thought harmful
• rapid regeneration after fire
• can remove competitors and return nutrients to
  soil, leaving large, fire - resistant species
• can remove litter fungi
• Giant Sequoia needs geminate only after fire ( or
  after intense heat!!)
• Surface fire - litter and undergrowth only
• Crown fires - hot, usually where fires have bow
  prevented (i.e. lots of dead wood in tree tops)

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Prescribed fire

• Prescribed burning - to do natures work on mans
  schedule
• Get different results depending on
• Time of year
• Time of day
• Moisture content of air
• Geographic location
• Species composition

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Diseases of forests

• DISEASES - in healthy, diverse forests, disease
  rarely get out of hand
• resistant species / genotypes
• CHESTNUT BLIGHT CHINA - almost all
• DUTCH ELM DISEASE ASIA and EUROPE - 2/3 killed
• WHITE - PINE BLISTER RUST EUROPE
• constant problem esp. in monocultures

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Impacts of insects on forests

• birds, etc. usually control insects
• bark beetle in S. and W. U.S. pine / spruce
• Spruce budworm - defoliate
• Gypsy moth
• Aphids - suck sap (wooly aphid) and scale insect

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Hemlock Wooly Adelgid
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