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11/14

Forest management refers to a broad category of activities, all of which are in service of the goal of protecting and regulating crucial natural resources for human use. Forests are essential for the environmental, social and economic health of the communities that surround them, which is why considerable resources are devoted to maintaining them.

The concept of biodiversity is key to the ongoing ability of forests to provide their resources. This is the foundation of the complex ecosystems that make forests what they are.

Below, we’ll explain how forest management contributes to biodiversity in forests and what you can do to support Oregon Forests Forever in our ongoing efforts to help Oregon’s trees thrive.

Forests Aren’t Just Trees

There are many definitions of the word forest, and they differ from one another in key ways. However, one thing that all the definitions agree on is the fact that to be a forest, an area must primarily be populated by trees. These trees, however, are only the foundation of the richly complex ecosystems that make up the planet’s forested areas. Visit any forest, and you’ll likely see a wide variety of living things, from colonies of insects to flowers, fungi, shrubs and, of course, animals such as birds and mammals.

Most forests don’t simply consist of one ecosystem, but rather many interconnected ones, all of which function in tandem to provide the resources that humanity depends on.

“Trees” Are a Broad Category

Take a walk through any forest in Oregon, and you’ll notice the scenery changing dramatically as you do. The professionals responsible for forest management divide each individual area of a forest into a unit called a stand. A forest stand refers to an area with some uniformity in the tree life.

There are many factors that can affect the trees in an area, leading forest managers to classify them as separate stands. Age is a factor, as is the dominance of a particular species of tree. Access to water and whether or not it has recently been invaded by insects or other pests can also cause a unit of the forest to be classified as a separate stand. Each stand supports slightly different plant and animal life and thereby contributes to the overall biodiversity of the forest as a whole.

Habitat Piles

While one of the main roles of forest management is to ensure that anything left after human activity is adequately cleaned up, there can also be some benefit in leaving behind certain amounts of material. The remains of vegetation that has been harvested can be left in slash piles, which are ordinarily burned or otherwise removed but, if done intentionally, can serve as habitats for various wildlife.

Creating effective biodens, or habitat piles, can entice certain animal species to move into an area; their presence can then help maintain the ecosystem in that location. For example, piles can become homes for mice, which in turn may attract predators such as owls, improving the overall biodiversity of a forested area.

Legacy Structures

Oregon’s forests provide a bountiful resource of raw materials for human use. The primary natural resource that is harvested from local forests is lumber, with Oregon providing over 3.8 billion board feet per year. This industry makes up one of the largest economic sectors in the state, directly or indirectly providing jobs and income for thousands of residents.

For this reason, keeping forests productive—without sacrificing biodiversity—is a major element of responsible forest management. One way that this can be done is to ensure that legacy structures are always left behind after a harvest. This refers to parts of the old stand that are left in place after trees are removed. Legacy structures may include old, fallen trees—which serve as a home for insects, animals and fungi—or they may include living trees or standing dead trees called snags.

Leaving these legacy structures in place allows important resources to be harvested while still leaving homes for the varied wildlife in the area.

Riparian Buffers

Any area where water meets land is termed a riparian zone. These riparian zones are a critical part of the overall ecosystem, as they provide habitat for many species of plant and animal life.

Oregon forest practice laws require riparian zones be protected by leaving what are called buffers next to streams during harvest. Buffers of standing trees ensure forest waters stay cold and clean for aquatic habitats and drinking water sources.

Connective Corridors

Many species do not simply inhabit one ecological region of the forest; rather, they traverse from one area to the next, often in search of food. This is true of large mammals, such as deer, wolves and bears, as well as migratory birds and aquatic animals, such as fish. The connective pathways that wildlife uses to traverse a forest are a crucial element of biodiversity.

A major role of a forest management team is to ensure that the connective corridors used by animals remain intact and available for their use. Forest practice rules limit the size of harvests to reduce the impact on wildlife and require areas adjacent to future harvests to be sufficiently established before a harvest can take place. The migration of fish is also protected by ensuring streams do not become blocked by road construction or other activities.

Another way managed forests help protect habitat is by providing a mosaic of different forest ages across the landscape. Native wildlife in Oregon have diverse habitat needs—some species like songbirds and pollinators need young forests, while other species like owls need older forests. Active management of forests ensures all wildlife habitat needs are met.

Prescribed Burns

While fires are an important part of the lifecycle of a forest and can promote biodiversity by clearing away dead and dying trees and underbrush, they can also become some of the most devastating events that can occur in a forest. Regardless of whether the cause is natural or the result of human activity, a small spark can quickly spread into a full-fledged inferno, destroying wildlife habitats and human dwellings with equal unpredictability.

Often, these uncontrolled fires result after years of buildup of dried plant matter, which provides an ongoing source of fuel. One way that forest management officials can prevent this problem is through the use of prescribed burns. During a prescribed burn, the forest management team will burn away the fuel source before too much buildup occurs, allowing for the beneficial effects of the fire without the dangerous loss of control that can occur with it.

If you are interested in learning more about the topic of forest management, explore the Oregon Forests Forever website. The campaign seeks to educate individuals about the relationship between human beings and nature so that they can all serve as responsible stewards of precious forest resources.