Restoration Forestry Research
Comparison of Old-Growth and Managed Forest Communities

Objectives

Assess if old-growth (unmanaged) forests differ from managed forests in species composition or ecological processes and refine forest management practices to accommodate biodiversity, if needed.

Background

Current forest management practices have been questioned by our constituents as negatively affecting biodiversity. The concerns of some scientists that our current forest management practices are not adequately sustaining the State's biodiversity have been picked up by the general public, especially the conservation groups that tend to represent such interests. The most poignant expressions of these concerns have been made in recent challenges to both the Nicolet and Chequamegon National Forest Management Plans, and more recently to a State Forest Management Plan, some of which have developed into court challenges. Data are needed to determine the impacts of current forest management practices on the entire forest ecosystem and its function. Private citizens are demanding a sustainable and diverse forest. We need adequate information to make intelligent decisions about our forest management practices to insure biodiversity is maintained while producing forest commodities.

This project will compare managed forest communities with unmanaged (old-growth) forest communities. The goal of this project is to refine forest management strategies to maintain the biodiversity of Wisconsin's forests. We need to determine if current forest management strategies are maintaining forest biodiversity, and if not, what can be changed to accommodate economically viable forest production, and retain biodiversity. Forest management practices should be identified in this study that provide both forest commodities and enhanced biodiversity of the entire forest ecosystem.

For more information on this topic please contact:
David Mladenoff@facstaff.wisc.edu or,
Gerald Bartelt (608)221-6344