Wildland forests– the ecological benefits of letting nature take its course

Ed FaisonSenior EcologistHighstead FoundationRCP Gathering 2019

Definitions

• Wildland forest – protected forest in which natural processes predominate with minimal human impact; timber harvesting prohibited.

• Woodland forest – protected forest with a focus on wood products, habitat management, and higher impact recreation

Have wildland forests diverged from woodlands in terms of structure, carbon storage, and condition?

Study Area:

Adirondack- New England

mixed forest region

timber harvesting accounts for 49% of annual tree mortality in woodlands

Compare wildlands vs. woodlands. Control for elevation, physiography, soils

Wildlands

Woodlands

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0-15 16-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-160 >160 >200

Relative %

Forest age class

Wildlands

Woodlands

Wildlands support older forest than do woodlands

Data from USDAForest Inventory andAnalysis. 2019

Large live and dead trees are much more abundant in wildlands

* ≥56 cm DBH**≥45 cm DBH

0

1

2

3

4

5

Stem density

(no./acre)

large live trees*

114%

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

Woodlands Wildlands

Large dead trees**

146%

Data from USDAForest Inventory andAnalysis. 2019

A greater amount of coarse woody debris occurred in wildlands (in easternUS national parks)

Volume (m3/ha)

Figure from Miller et al. 2016. Ecosphere

135% greater in national parks

National Park

Matrix forest

A greater density and diversity of forest birds occurred in wildlands than in managed forests (in Minnesota)

• Total density of birds

• Total number of bird species

• Abundance of individual species

Wildlandforest

David Turgeon

“the richness of early-successional forest species did notvary between wilderness and managed forest…likely because of

the presence of natural openings [in the wilderness sites]…that provided appropriate open, shrubby habitat (Zlonis and Niemi2014)

Zlonis and Niemi 2014. Forest Ecology and Management

Carbon storage is significantly greater in wildland than in woodland forests

Woodlands

26 tons/acre

live abovegroundcarbon storage

31.1 tons/acre

Wildlands

3 million acres X

https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references

= 5.1 additional tonsC/acre

= 15.3 million additional tons C in wildlands

(ADKs + Baxter SP + USDA wilderness areas)(P = 0.001)

Data from USDAForest Inventory andAnalysis. 2019

Wildland forests maintain healthy trees in the absence of forest management

“sound forest management encourages the periodic harvesting of trees to weed out diseased or deformed trees to make room for the healthiest trees to grow. A healthy, vigorous forest is better able to ward off diseases, defoliating insects and the effects of natural disasters such as fires and hurricanes.” https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2697&Q=322878

75

77

79

81

83

85

87

89

91

Woodlands Wildlands

% sound trees

P = 0.002

Data from USDAForest Inventory andAnalysis. 2019

Wildlands differ fundamentally in characteristics and condition from woodlands

large livetrees

large dead trees

older forest

coarse woody debris (Miller et al. 2016)

carbon storage

Wildlands

% of sound trees

bird diversity and density (Minnesota; Zlonis and Niemi 2014)

Fewer invasive species(Riitters et al. 2018)