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Forest Health: Definitions, Concepts and Perceptions

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Title: Forest Health: Definitions, Concepts and Perceptions


1
Forest HealthDefinitions, Concepts and
Perceptions
  • Dr. Richard W. Hofstetter
  • School of Forestry, room 208

2
What is Forest Health?
  • Varying perspectives
  • Biologically definable?
  • Resources, management?

3
Healthy Forest Ecosystems?
4
Healthy Forest Ecosystems?
5
What is Forest Health?
  • Varying perspectives
  • Utilitarian, human resource
  • Ecological, biodiversity
  • Historical, pre-settlement
  • Definitions

6
Utilitarian, human resource perspective
7
Ecological, biodiversity perspective
8
Historical, pre-settlement perspective
9
What is Forest Health?
  • Concept of forest health is subjective but also
    adaptive.
  • Unlikely that all classifications co-exist under
    one management scheme.
  • Is the concept of forest health useful and
    practical for all forest types and countries?

What is your perspective (definition) of Forest
Health?
10
  • Forest Health the relative condition of a
    forest based on ecological indicators and
    collective value judgments of stakeholders.
  • Forest ecosystem health the capacity to supply
    and allocate water, nutrients and energy in ways
    that increase or maintain productivity while
    maintaining resistance to biotic and abiotic
    stresses (McLaughlin Percy 1999)

11
  • Why is there so much agreement (or
    disagreement) on forest health?
  • Consequence of divergent definitions
  • lack of agreement on future desired condition
  • lack of agreement on appropriate management
  • Produce different research concepts and
    monitoring systems

12
What are characteristics of a healthy forest?
  • Vegetation appears vigorous and healthy
  • Forest is capable of tolerating and recovering
    from known disturbances
  • Minimal evidence of erosion (as evident by stream
    water quality)
  • Plant, terrestrial wildlife and aquatic diversity
    at appropriate levels
  • Insect, disease and fire frequencies (disturbance
    agents) are within normal ranges for site
  • Forest products are sustainable and plentiful

13
What are symptoms of forest health problems?
  • High mortality rates with low regeneration
  • Vegetation appears stressed or sick
  • Occurrence/dominance of exotic species
  • Low abundances of plant and animal species (for
    that site)
  • Dominance of one or more species
  • Excessive erosion/high turbidity of streams
    /unstable stream banks
  • Poor riparian vegetation

14
Examples of Forest Health Issues in the United
States
  • Fire Hazard
  • Estimated 18 million ha of western forests have
    extreme fire risk.
  • Air pollution
  • Ozone and other pollutants affect forests near
    large metropolitan area, such as Los Angeles.

15
Examples of Forest Health Issues in the United
States
  • Insects outbreaks and disease incidence are
    increasing.
  • Mountain pine beetle
  • outbreak ----------------------
  • Invasion of exotic plants, insects, and diseases
    is a critical issue.
  • Example Asian long-horned beetle

16
Group question
  • What are the important forest health issues in
    your region?
  • In the United States
  • Exotic species (many)
  • Fragmentation of forests
  • Disturbance regimes (lack of fires)
  • Overuse, physical damage
  • Outbreaks of native species

17
Global Issues in Forest Health
  • Deforestation Carbon cycling
  • Desertification Air pollution
  • Clean water Soil erosion and acidity
  • Biological diversity Insects and diseases
  • Fire hazard Storm and fire damage
  • Forest fragmentation
  • Conservation vs. preservation vs. usage
  • Economic and social benefits of forests
  • Introduction of exotic organisms
  • Protection of forests (enforcement of
    regulations)

18
What are the likely challenges to promote forest
health in your region?
19
Challenges to assessing and promoting Forest
Health
  • Diversity of forest ownership
  • Enforcement, protection of lands
  • Integrated and interdependent concept
  • Environmental, economic and social all affect
    each other
  • Incomplete data from monitoring
  • Difficult to interpret data
  • Lack of sub-national (regional) data

20
Forest Health future needs and issues
  • Incorporation of local beliefs and uses
  • Develop/improve indicators, sampling design, data
    quality and processing
  • Strategies to control and manage pests
  • Guidelines for harvesting forest products
  • Limit trade and movement of exotics
  • Understanding of structure and function of
    forests and resistance to disturbances
  • Understanding of microfauna and nutrient cycling
  • Use of preserves within forests

21
What is essential for a forest health program
  • Need to clearly express the objectives for the
    forest
  • Understand the nature of the forest and the
    current and future issues
  • Need to clearly define criteria and make sure the
    data are of high quality
  • Tailor monitoring efforts to address the
    objectives
  • Need support from local, regional and state levels

22
  • For more information of Forest Health and Forest
    Health Issues
  • www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/
  • fhm.fs.fed.us/, http//fhm.fs.fed.us/fhh/fhmusamap
    .shtm
  • www.srd.gov.ab.ca/
  • www.mpci.org/home_e.html
  • www.cofi.org/whatwedo/marketsandtrade.htm
  • www.fs.fed.us/global/topic/welcome.htm
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