Lesson 2: Forest Management

A forest is a multiple use system. The goal of sustainable forest management is to make the greatest number of resources available to all organisms with a vested interest in the forest system (remember the stakeholders?). Some of the various uses of forests include:

• Forests are used as a source of wood products.
  • wood products such as plywood and paneling
    
  • fuel for firewood and even electrical generation
  • food
  • medicines
    
• Forests are used for recreation.
  • camping
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • birdwatching
  • many other activities
• Forests are major players in flood and erosion control.
  • many times runoff from areas depleted of vegetation causes floods
• Forests are often used for rangeland.
  • often ranchers utilize forested areas for grazing their herds
• Forests are wildlife habitat.
  • birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and countless invertebrate species rely on healthy forest lands for survival
  • additionally, many endangered species call forests home
  • in streams that run through the forest fish and other aquatic animals are reliant on the forest as well

How do forest managers do all this?

Faced with all of the above uses of forest ecosystems, it seems that foresters have a terribly daunting task in front of them. Forest managers use 4 steps to design a plan for management of a forest.

1. Analyze the situation
   • Take stock of the area (How big is the area? What types of trees are there? Are there any major problems? Are there any endangered species in the area?).
2. Decide on the objectives
   • What does the landowner want to accomplish? Consider short- and long-term goals.
3. Develop a management plan.
   • This plan should demonstrate what is possible, and should account for short- and long-term goals. Additionally, the plan should consider the effects of actions on the land, forest, neighbors, and watershed. What needs to be done to ensure the ecological role of the forest is protected?
4. Measure the results.
   • How will the forest manager keep track of the plan's progress? What were the costs and benefits of the plan? When will the next harvest be ready?

Lesson Quiz