Management and Use of Forests

Managed Woods• proper management

• results in greater and more uniform growth than when trees are permitted to develop according to nature’s plan

Management practices• planting selected varieties of

trees

• some trees may be used for several purposes

Management• rate of growth should be

considered

• most important uses: timber and veneer

Management• length of time to maturity

• faster growing trees have fewer uses

Management• Eucalyptus - one of the

fastest growing

• 15 inches in diameter in 40-50 years

Management• Black Walnut, Oak, Hard

Maple

• 100-125 years

Breeding Super Trees• select seeds of trees that are

• fast growing

• tallest

• straightest

Breeding Super Trees• healthiest

• raise super trees in nurseries

Controlling Insects and Disease

• can be variety specific

• an established disease or insect pest can be nearly impossible to eliminate

Insects and Disease• trees may develop immunity

Insect, Fungal, &Bacterial

• Dutch Elm Disease - Fungus

• carried by European Elm Bark Beetle

Insect, Fungal, &Bacterial

• White Pine Blister Rust

• lives part of its life cycle on an alternate host

• wild gooseberries or currants

White Pine Blister Rust

• to control the disease, destroy the alternate host

• Gypsy Moth - problem with many types of trees

Fire Control• fires are nature’s way of

controlling distribution and succession in forests

• prepares some seeds for germination - Jack Pine

Fire Control• fires may add nutrients to the soil

• destroy harmful insects

• provides young shoots and new leaves and other vegetation for wildlife

Fire Control• controlled burn

• practiced only with expert advice and under supervision

Selective harvesting• trees are thinned out each

year in accordance with a plan

• remaining trees grow faster, taller and healthier

Selective harvesting• wood is marketed, providing

a steady source of income

• sustained yield management

Clear Cutting• cutting off a sizeable plot of

trees during one harvest period.

Clear Cutting• Wisdom of this practice is

highly debated

• Essential for commercial reforestation of some species

Clear Cutting• Severe soil erosion may

occur

Small Land Owners• 70% of commercial forest

land is held by private owners

Small Land Owners• More than 1/2 of saw timber

in US is grown on land owned by small land owners or farmers

Small Land Owners• Less than 1/5 grown on land

owned by large timber companies

• Doing a better job of forest management

Small Land Owners• Conservation is profitable

• Management involves few cash outlays

Small Land Owners• Obtain free advice from:

• state or national foresters

• timber company experts

Recreational Uses• Multiple use of national

forests

• national parks become more crowded

Recreational Uses• Forests provided additional

space and scenery

• Increase in forest visits

Recreational Uses• Visits to forests for

recreational purposes are increasing at a rate of 10% per year

Wilderness• Unsettled, uncultivated

natural region

The Wilderness Act• Dec. 19, 1964

• permanent protection to millions of acres

• open to public input

Alaska Nat’l Interest..• Lands Conservation Act

• Dec. 2, 1980

• Increased protected wilderness area in US to 56.6 million acres

Wilderness• Additional land under study

for wilderness designation

• Bureau of Land Management

Wilderness• Has until 1991 to complete

process of wilderness designation

Wilderness• met with some opposition

Better use of forest• Decrease waste, increase

efficiency

• Particle board

• paper recycling

Better use of Forest• Plastics are being substituted

for wood in many products