Swan(sea) Song â personal research during my six years at Swansea ... and bey...
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Seeing the Forest and the Trees
1. Seeing the Forest
and the
Trees
A brief overview
Nevin Dawson
Forest Stewardship Educator
Wye Research and Education Center
2. Outline
ī° The Trees
īŽ ID
īŽ Physiology and ID
īŽ Tree ID outdoors
īŽ Tree ID indoors
ī° The Forest
īŽ Forest Ecology
īŽ Forest Stewardship
īŽ Forest Threats and Management: EAB case study
ī° Invasive Plants
3. Tree ID
ī° Different species have different appearance
ī° Different species have different needs
ī° Different species have different response to
management
ī° Different species have different growth habits
ī° Different species have different uses for both
humans and wildlife
4. Tree ID
ī° Dichotomous Key
1. Is it brown or red?
ī° If brown go to 2
ī° If red go to 3
2. Can you hold it in your hand?
ī° If yes go to 4
ī° If no go to 5
âĻ
4. Is it electronic?
1. If yes, than itâs your cell phone
2. If no, itâs your wallet
6. Tree ID
ī° Needle: long or scales?
Virginia pine
(Pinus virginiana)
Eastern redcedar
(Juniperis virginiana)
7. Tree ID
ī° Needles: single or in bundles?
Eastern hemlock
(Tsuga canadensis)
White pine
(Pinus strobus)
Virginia pine
(Pinus virginiana)
Loblolly pine
(Pinus taeda)
Eastern white pine
(Pinus strobus)
Shortleaf pine
(Pinus strobus)
8. Tree ID
ī° Twigs/leaves: Alternate or opposite or whorled?
Whorled
(few; e.g.
Catalpa)
Alternate
(most)
Opposite
(MADCAP Horse)
30. Essential Elements
ī° Nutrients considered
essential if
īŽ Plant cannot complete its life
cycle without it
īŽ Its part of a molecule of
some essential plant
constituent
32. Summary
ī° Trees are complex
organisms that
communicate internally
and externally
ī° Variation both within and
between species
ī° An understanding of how
trees work can help you
manage them
34. Forestry as Art and Science
Science: knowledge covering general truths especially as obtained
and tested through the scientific method and concerned with the
physical world and its phenomena (Merriam-Webster)
ī° Pinchot as Americaâs first forester
īŽ Founded conservation movement:
sustainable use v. exploitation
īŽ Founded Society of American Foresters 1900
50 accredited degree programs
ī° US Forest Service
īŽ Created 1891
īŽ Manages for the âgreatest goodâ
35. Forestry as Art and Science
Art: Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation; Skill
arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties (American Heritage)
ī° Infinite variation in interaction of trees and
resources
ī° Too complicated to quantify completely
ī° Thus the Art
37. The Dynamic Natural Area:
Principles of Succession
1. Natural areas change over time, whether or not you
do anything to them.
2. You can accelerate the process of succession
3. Stop mowing and the natural process of succession
will eventually provide a forest.
38. The Dynamic Natural Area:
Principles of Succession
4. Some plants need full sunlight: shade-intolerant
species. Others are able to get started in partial shade:
shade-tolerant species.
5. Different successional stages provide different wildlife
habitat, aesthetics, and recreation.
6. A small wooded lot may not contain every stage of
succession
39. Forestry Principles
ī° Tree size not directly
related to age
ī° Different tree species
require different conditions
ī° Trees grow at different
rates
īŽ Compete for
resources
(i.e., sunlight,
water, and nutrients)
īŽ Nature v. nurture
ī° Forests are
3-dimensional
25 years
25 years
40. Forestry Principles
ī° Trees reproduce either from seeds or sprouts
ī° Trees donât live forever; dead trees valuable for wildlife
and soil
ī° No matter how you manage your land, but especially if
you practice passive management, invasive and exotic
species will inhabit it.
42. Forestland Goals
What could you manage a forest for?
âĸ Oxygen
âĸ Timber
âĸ Wildlife
âĸ Food production (consume/sell)
âĸ Recreation
âĸ Energy (burning)
âĸ Energy conservation
âĸ Water quality
âĸ Carbon sequestration
43. Forestland Goals
ī° USDA Forest Service Forest Stewardship
Program Goal Categories
īŽ Soil & Water
īŽ Fish & Wildlife
īŽ Recreation & Aesthetics
īŽ Forest Products
īŽ Passive Management
45. Forestland Goals
ī° Fish & Wildlife
īŽ Create brush or rock piles
īŽ Encourage growth of wildlife food trees
īŽ Improve shelter opportunities by planting trees or
creating soft edge
īŽ Improve water quality and conditions
46. Forestland Goals
ī° Recreation & Aesthetics
īŽ Create or improve trails
īŽ Create a campfire or camping area
īŽ Improve opportunities for hunting or
wildlife watching
īŽ Create or enhance a scenic view
īŽ Plant trees that have brilliant fall color
or flowers
īŽ Clean up natural areas damaged by
insects, disease, or storms
47. Forestland Goals
ī° Forest Products
īŽ Timber
īŽ Firewood for personal or othersâ use
īŽ Ginseng or other medicinal plants
īŽ Grapevines for wreaths
īŽ Shiitake mushrooms
48. Forestland Goals
ī° Passive Management
īŽ Do-nothing approach
īŽ Allow Nature to take its course
īŽ Be aware of innate human influence
ī° Invasives/exotics
ī° Fire suppression
īŽ Forest will change with or without your
intervention
49. Forestry as a Management Tool
ī° Once goals are set, plan out steps to reach them
ī° Three methods to affect change
īŽ Plant trees/plants
īŽ Remove trees/plants
īŽ Do nothing
50. Forestry as a Management Tool
Plant trees/plants
ī° Change composition of forest
īŽ Mast trees
īŽ Flowering trees
īŽ Timber trees
ī° Compensate for deer browse
ī° Spacing affects growth
51. Forestry as a Management Tool
Remove trees/plants
ī° Prune
īŽ Remove non-essential branches
īŽ Change growth pattern
īŽ Produce clear wood for higher value
ī° Spray
īŽ Change species composition
īŽ Remove certain plant types
ī° Cut
52. Forestry as a Management Tool
Remove trees/plants
ī° Cut
īŽ Thin
īŽ Crop tree release
īŽ Selection
ī° Single tree
ī° Group
īŽ Shelterwood
īŽ Seed tree
īŽ Clearcut
54. Forestry as a Management Tool
Thinning
ī° Trees draw from a limited pool of resources
īŽ Sun
īŽ Water
īŽ Nutrients
ī° Light is most limiting
ī° Remove worst trees (wolf trees) to increase
growth of best trees
ī° Sometimes incur cost now for increased profit
later
55. Forestry as a Management Tool
ThinningâCrop Tree Management
ī° Step 1: Identify your goals!
īŽ Wildife, large trees, color, diversity, firewood, etc.
ī° Step 2: Define crop tree attributes
īŽ Based on objectives
īŽ Assessment will determine number
ī° Step 3: Mark crop trees in the woods
ī° Step 4: Remove (or kill) competing trees
īŽ Can kill and leave or cut down for products
56. Forestry as a Management Tool
ThinningâCrop Tree Management