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• The conservation objective in the Mississippi
  Alluvial Valley is to provide forested habitat
  capable of supporting sustainable populations of
  all forest dependant wildlife species.

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Purpose of Report of the FRCWG

• To define desired forest conditions that result
  from management of bottomland hardwood forests
  where the primary objective is the conservation
  of wildlife
• To provide technical recommendations for the
  restoration of bottomland hardwood forest on
  areas that have been converted to non-forested
  land uses (e.g., agriculture) that reflect the
  cumulative knowledge and experiences of land
  managers and researchers from the past decades of
  active reforestation
• To recommend protocols and procedures for
  coordinated inventory and monitoring of forest
  resources on public lands managed for wildlife
  conservation such that restoration and management
  can be implemented in an adaptive manner.

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Forest Log(Oregon Dept. of Forestry - Newsletter)

• Among the findings, the study found that by
  using structure-based management, ODF is moving
  the primarily middle-aged forests toward a
  mixture of habitats, including complex forest
  stands which are similar to old-growth.

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NRCS Technical Note No. 190-34

• Bird Use of Reforestation Sites Influence of
  Location and Vertical Structure

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Research suggests that in mature second growth
forests, selective timber harvest will benefit
many species of forest birds. Harvest should
encourage two forest conditions

• A reduced forest canopy, which encourages light
  penetration of the forest floor, resulting in an
  increase in understory vegetation, and
• Retention and development of dominant trees with
  crowns that are emergent above the average forest
  canopy.

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Findings

• aid on-the-ground managers and program managers
  in implementing forest management strategies for
  wildlife conservation.
• To achieve these habitat conditions requires
  managers to reassess traditional methods of
  silviculture, placing greater emphasis on
  retaining and promoting forest structure and
  senescence to benefit priority wildlife.
  (Wildlife Forestry)

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On reforested sites with densely stocked, closed
canopy stands, selective harvest should be
undertaken to increase understory vegetation.
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However, the management action most beneficial to
birds would heterogeneously distribute harvest
within a reforested site some areas would be
subjected to intense harvest whereas other areas
would remain unharvested.
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Beggs, 2004, Thesis variable thinning response

• Excerpt from thesis  "... Study  was developed
  to test if thinning could accelerate development
  of late-successional habitat in young managed ...
  forests...the goal of this study was to
  investigate short-term responses of vegetation to
  thinning treatments and to evaluate this response
  in relation to long-term objectives of
  late-successional development."  Results
   "...current trends indicate that a moderate to
  heavy thinning in combination with gap formation
  can hasten development of late-successional
  features...".

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Findings

• , we anticipate these recommendations will be
  instructive to private landowners targeting
  wildlife conservation as part of their overall
  land stewardship objectives.
• (Forest Stewardship Program)

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Wildlife Forestry

• Greater large tree retention
• Deadwood/snag retention and development

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Wildlife Forestry

• Midstory and understory development
• Species richness
• Maintenance of shade-intolerant regeneration

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Recommendations

• Because these recommendations reflect the
  collective technical judgment and experiences of
  many biologists, foresters, and researchers, they
  have been developed with the expectation of being
  incorporated into the forest management programs
  and forest conservation efforts of LMVJV
  partners.

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LDWF WMA General Forest Management Plan Revision
March 2007

• Desired Forest Conditions developed by the Lower
  Mississippi Valley Joint Ventures Forest
  Resource Conservation Working Group will be used
  to guide forest management decisions.

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Recommendations

• although these recommendations reflect our
  current knowledge and experience, refinement and
  modification is expected as we increase our
  knowledge, understanding, and experience in the
  science of bottomland hardwood forest restoration
  and management.
• (adaptive management)

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Recommendations - high points

• Restoration
• Initial planting density of 435 seedlings per
  acre, including early successional shade
  intolerants as well as late successional shade
  tolerant species
• Plantings should result in an average of gt300
  trees/acre, preferably in a matrix of high stem
  density patches and gaps

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Recommendations - high points

• Management
• Management actions undertaken early in
  development of stands (e.g., circa year 15 post
  planting)
• 70-95 of the forest area be actively managed
• 35-50 of actively managed forest area meet DFCs

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Recommendations - high points

• Management
• Retention of a component of snag and stressed
  stems for cavity/deadwood
• Promote development of 2 to 4 dominant stems
  (average per acre) in the overstory canopy
• 5-30 of the landscape, representing broad forest
  types, be passively managed

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Recommendations - high points

• Monitoring
• Extensive inventories of forest within local
  landscapes (e.g., WMA or Refuge) to assess
  habitat conditions and aide in formulating
  silvicultural treatments
• Design and implement coordinated monitoring
  program to evaluate wildlife use of forest stands
  following prescribed treatments (allowing
  exchange of data across political boundaries)
• Establishment of a long-term, permanent
  monitoring plot system (e.g., continuous forest
  inventory)

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Reviewers

• The Forest Resource Conservation Working Group
• SEAFWA - Forest Resources Technical Committee
• Southeastern Partners In Flight
• Southern Group of State Foresters AFC, TDF,
  MoDC
• DU Southern Regional Office
• Black Bear Conservation Committee
• National Council for Air and Stream Improvement
• TNC Arkansas
• Mississippi Bat Working Group
• NRCS

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The Next Steps

• Management Board Approval (Randy)
• Publication of Report
• LDWF graphics staff preparing the report for the
  printer
• USDA FS Forest Stewardship Program providing
  funding for printing
• Implementation in the MAV (Randy)