FOREST ECOLOGY

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FOREST ECOLOGY
Conservation is a state ofharmony between men
and land.
A Sand County Almanac Aldo Leopold - 1949
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WHAT 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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FOREST ECOLOGY BASICS
COMPOSITION
STRUCTURE
FUNCTION
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COMPOSITION
Genetic Diversity - Gene Pools Species, Number of
Species Species Abundance Populations of
Animals Plants Species Associations Community
Diversity Ecosystem Diversity
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STRUCTURE
Vertical Horizontal Spatial Heterogeneity
Density Edge Effect Islands Fragmentation Dead
Trees Snags Micro-Environments Appearance
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VERTICAL STRUCTURE
Vertical structure refers to the ladder-like
arrangement in a forest.
Adapted from Baughman, et al., 1993. Woodland
Stewardship. P. 17.
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HORIZONTAL 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.
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EDGES, SNAGS, ANDFRAGMENTATION
Edge Effect
Large Snags
Forest Fragmentation
Green. 1995. Birds and Forests. P.55.
UM-Cartography Lab.
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FUNCTION
Energy Capture Trophics Weathering Mineral
Nutrient Cycling Water Movement Temperature
Humidity Succession Disturbance
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ENERGY CAPTURE
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Energy Capture
Trophic Levels
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CYCLING
Ecosystem
Gains
Losses
Nutrient, Mineral, and Water Cycling
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SUCCESSION
Wisconsin DNR, 1995. Wisconsins Biodiversity as
a Management Issue. P. 22.
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DISTURBANCE
Forested ecosystems are dependent upon
disturbance for renewal and to provide biological
diversity. The plants and animals in a forest
dont know whether the disturbance is caused by
natural events or human-caused events.
Natural Events Fire Wind Animals Flooding Disease
s/Insects
Human-Caused Events Fire Harvest Pollution Develop
ment Exotic Introductions
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FORESTRY 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

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IDEAS FOR YOUR LAND
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.
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.