INTRODUCTION TO FOREST RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

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INTRODUCTION TO FOREST RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

• NRES 285 FRM
• John Edgington

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What is forest management?

• Forest management is an integration of all
  factors affecting decisions concerning the forest
  .
• Biological factors
• Economic factors
• Social factors
• Forest management concerns managing limited
  resources for multiple goods and services

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What is forest management?

• Historically .
• Forest management dealt with the biological
  manipulation of forest species
• Required a knowledge of the growth and
  development of forest species
• Forest management became the practice of
  controlling the establishment, composition, and
  growth of forest species
• At various times, forest management included
• Watershed
• Mensuration
• Engineering

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What is forest management?

• Currently .
• Forest management includes

• Silviculture
• Ecology
• Mensuration
• Watershed hydrology
• Wildlife

• Protection
• Engineering
• Economics
• Recreation
• Aesthetics

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What is forest management?

• The days have ended when the forest may be
  viewed only as trees and trees viewed only as
  timber. The soil and the water, the grasses and
  the shrubs, the fish and the wildlife, and the
  beauty that is the forest must become integral
  parts of resource managers thinking and actions.
• The late Senator Hubert Humphrey
• 1976 Forest Management Act

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Course Objective

• The objective of this course is to introduce the
  various areas of specialization within forest
  resource management.
• Managing a forested resource is no different than
  any other business related activity .

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Course Objective

• Decisions must be made concerning
• Product availability
• Product marketability
• Product sustainability
• Accountability
• with consideration for internal and external
  constraints

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CONSTRAINTS

• Internal variables
• Temperature
• Precipitation
• Soil type
• Species

• External variables
• Federal and state tax structure
• Federal and state legislation
• Market conditions

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Forest Management

• The study and application of analytical
  techniques to aid in choosing those management
  alternatives that contribute most to
  organizational objectives.
• USFS uses the Multiple-use concept
• Wood, water, wildlife, forage, and recreation

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Forest Management

• The study and application of analytical
  techniques to aid in choosing those management
  alternatives that contribute most to
  organizational objectives.

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Organizational Objectives

• Objectives implies a desired end point
• Objectives may or may not be identified
• Objectives may change

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Organizational Objectives

• Objectives implies a desired end point
• Almost always is the goods and services the
  forest produces
• Timber products
• Wildlife habitat
• Scenic beauty
• Objectives may or may not be identified
• Objectives may change

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Organizational Objectives

• Objectives implies a desired end point
• Objectives may or may not be identified
• Multiple user groups (mills, hunters, hikers)
• Dominant user group
• Objective identification should be a result of
  careful thought and planning
• Objectives may change

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Organizational Objectives

• Objectives implies a desired end point
• Objectives may or may not be identified
• Objectives may change
• Over time, objectives may change depending on
  which user group becomes dominant
• Change is responsive to societal needs
• Change may disrupt continuity of management

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Organizational Objectives

• Objectives are usually determined by the forest
  landowner
• USFS objectives are multiple-use
• Industry objectives are to provide raw materials
  for their mills
• Private non-industrial objectives are diverse
• Seldom are there single management objectives

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Organizational Objectives

• Actual management objectives, whether stated or
  unstated, are a mixture of several management
  objectives
• The forest manager helps the landowner evaluate
  these objectives
• The forest manager provides information to help
  the landowner decide on each objective
• The forest manager helps implement objectives

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Forest Management

• The study and application of analytical
  techniques to aid in choosing those management
  alternatives that contribute most to
  organizational objectives.

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Forest Management

• Forest management alternatives are the production
  possibilities
• Production possibilities are determined by the
  basic biology of the forest

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Forest Management

• Forest management alternatives may be viewed as
  the actions taken by the owner to achieve the
  desired objectives
• Cutting
• Reforestation
• Construction

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Forest Management

• The natural resource land manager must
• Establish objectives
• Allocate funds, personnel, and resources
• Allocate areas of special use
• Project future outcomes
• Achieve objectives

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Management Plans

• A management plan will
• Define management objectives
• Outline how management objectives will be
  achieved through biological manipulation
• Provide for continuity
• Be based on sound business principles

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Decision maker
Objectives
Alternatives
Constraints
Decision
More data
Do nothing
New alternative
Implementation
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Management Plans

• All timber management planning can be
  categorized into three distinct levels
• Stand level planning
• independent plans for each stand
• Forest level planning
• coordinate all stands
• Landscape level planning
• all forest and non-forest components

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Stand level management plans

• Accurate descriptions of the stand
• Stand history
• Site information
• Stand information
• Market analysis

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Stand level management plans

• Accurate descriptions of the stand
• Location
• Maps
• boundaries
• Stand history
• Site information
• Stand information
• Market analysis

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Stand level management plans

• Accurate descriptions of the stand
• Stand history
• Establishment
• Uses
• Changes (fires)
• Site information
• Stand information
• Market analysis

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Stand level management plans

• Accurate descriptions of the stand
• Stand history
• Site information
• Soils
• Stand information
• Market analysis

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Stand level management plans

• Accurate descriptions of the stand
• Stand history
• Site information
• Stand information
• - Species composition - Age class
  distribution
• - Stocking densities - Diameter
  distribution
• - Growth and yield (by species)
• Market analysis

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Stand level management plans

• Accurate descriptions of the stand
• Stand history
• Site information
• Stand information
• Market analysis
• Intermediate treatments
• Current and projected market
• Optimum rotation age or cutting cycle

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Forest level management plans

• Information from each stand
• Coordination of all stand data
• Forest regulation

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Landscape level management plans

• Forest information (Ecosystems information)
• Long term impacts of management
• Energy flow
• Social components