The Temperate

Deciduous Forest Biome

Robinson Forest, Eastern Kentucky

Ecological importance of forests

Forests are WATERSHEDS:

A watershed is the land base surrounding and draining downhill into a particular river or stream

Maroon Bells watershed above Aspen, Colorado

Forested Watersheds• They absorb, hold, and gradually

release H2O to agricultural and urban areas downstream

• Forested watersheds control erosion to reduce sediment in streams and lakes, and reduce flooding

Daniel Boone

National Forest, KY

Forests Regulate Climate• Up to 80% (tropical forests) of moisture in air is

from evaporation and transpiration of moisture from trees

• local - wet and cool around trees where otherwise hot and dry– without trees, rain causes soil erosion and fertility drops

• global - forests absorb solar radiation near equator– cut trees --> radiation + heat reflected -->

• changes wind, precipitation, and temperature worldwide

• general - trees absorb CO2, add O2, cleansing air– cutting and burning tree releases CO2 into air, and CO2 is

lost from exposed soil - no tree to absorb that CO2

Forests regulate both humidity and temperature

Forests as filters

• Trees absorb noise• Trees filter out pollution (as gasses are

exchanged)• Forests help us clear our minds:

– provide solitude, beauty, and nourish human spirit

Forests provide biodiversity

• Forests contain a greater diversity of wildlife than any other terrestrial biome

• How diverse are the forests of eastern Kentucky compared to the rest of the U.S. and other parts of the world?

What is the $$ value of a tree?

• Economists (e.g., timber company) - engage in cost-benefit analysis to determine if money can be made on lumber and paper

• An average tree in the eastern US might be worth about $750 for its wood products value

• The costs to produce the products involve– Purchasing the standing timber– Harvest costs– Transportation costs– Processing costs– Marketing and delivery costs

What’s a tree worth ALIVE?

• If you could take all the goods and services produced by ONE average tree over 50 years:– $ 31, 250 of O2

– $ 62, 500 in pollution reduction– $ 31, 250 in soil fertility– $ 37, 500 in water recycling and humidity

control– $ 31, 250 in wildlife habitat– $ 2,500 in protein

• Total = $196,250

Real costs tree harvest?

• We justify forest practices on a SHORT TERM basis without considering value of ecological benefits that support other economic activities and help sustain the biosphere

• We allow timber companies to cut our trees without collecting for nearly $200,000 in benefits that tree might otherwise provide so that they can make $750.

• Need to consider the external costs (lost benefits)

The timber industry

• Hardwoods – mostly deciduous; oaks, hickories, cherry– furniture, flooring, cabinets– The native, “climax” species in eastern

Kentucky• Softwoods

– mostly evergreen, conifers; pines, firs, spruce– paper, construction timber, plywood– High volume needed– Fast growing– High economic gain

What constitutes a forest?

• CLOSED FOREST - closed canopy– 62 % of forests

• OPEN FOREST – “WOODLANDS” – abundant trees but canopy not closed– Remaining 38%

• Broadleaf forest = ~ 2/3 of world’s forests

• Coniferous forest = ~ 1/3

Secondary vs. Old Growth

• SECONDARY FORESTS - resulting from secondary ecological succession after:– logging– clearing for agriculture and abandoned– Mining

• OLD GROWTH - uncut, virgin forest, resulting in:– massive trees

• hundreds to thousands of years old

– e.g., Douglas fir live to about 250 years old– Hemlock, Giant Sequoia, Coastal Redwoods live

to 1,000’s of years old– Pine in Southeastern US – live to only 80 years

old– Thousands of years old

Coastal redwood in California

Yellow Birch in Michigan

Tree trunk in Blanton Forest in southeastern Kentucky

Giant Sequoias in California

Old Growth Forests provide

- greater diversity of plants- greater diversity of animals- tree cavities!!

- Wood ducks, squirrels, raccoons,

- food production- Acorn production is much higher in older

trees.– Food production for wildlife is generally

greater in old growth

Forest Edge – good or bad?

• EDGE habitat in treefall gap vs. man-made

• forest management of commercially important trees- most are shade-intolerant (need clear open area to grow)

• shade tolerant - typically the “climax” species- KY = CHESTNUT, OAK, POPULAR- Lilly Cornett Woods - Letcher Co. near Whitesburg

Only you can appreciate forest fires

• Fires– Smokey the Bear!!– once thought harmful– rapid regeneration after fire– can remove competitors and return nutrients to

soil, leaving large, fire - resistant species– can remove litter fungi– Giant Sequoia needs geminate only after fire ( or

after intense heat!!)

• Surface fire - litter and undergrowth only• Crown fires - hot, usually where fires have

bow prevented (i.e. lots of dead wood in tree tops)

Prescribed fire

• Prescribed burning - to do natures work on man’s schedule

• Get different results depending on– Time of year– Time of day– Moisture content of air– Geographic location– Species composition

Diseases of forests

• DISEASES - in healthy, diverse forests, disease rarely get out of hand

• resistant species / genotypes• CHESTNUT BLIGHT: CHINA - almost all• DUTCH ELM DISEASE: ASIA and EUROPE

- 2/3 killed• WHITE - PINE BLISTER RUST: EUROPE

– constant problem; esp. in monocultures

Impacts of insects on forests

• birds, etc. usually control insects• bark beetle in S. and W. U.S. pine /

spruce• Spruce budworm - defoliate• Gypsy moth • Aphids - suck sap (wooly aphid) and

scale insect

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid