UPforest

What is a Forest: 

What is a Forest WHAT IS A FOREST? Only trees? A community? An ecosystem? Includes animals? Fish? Streams & lakes? Houses? How big of an area? Regeneration areas? Plantations? Christmas tree farm? Ecological processes like nutrient or energy cycling? “That portion of a geographically large area dominated by trees. As an ecosystem, it is meant to include all plants and sometimes the animals dependent upon the trees and plants. Smaller area of largely homogenous tree compositions are called stands”.

Slide2: 

ANOTHER DEFINITION Forest - An ecosystem characterized by a more or less dense and extensive tree cover, often consisting of stands varying in characteristics such as species composition, structure, age class, and associated processes, and commonly including meadows, streams, fish, and wildlife. - Note: forest include special kinds such as industrial forests, non-industrial private forests, plantations, public forests, protection forests, and urban forests, as well as parks and wilderness. -Society of American Foresters

FOREST DISTRIBUTION: 

FOREST DISTRIBUTION FOREST DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES

FOREST HISTORY: 

FOREST HISTORY Forest History ... Cut ... Burn ... Farm ... Recovery ... Source: “Michigan’s Forests”. DNR. 32 pp.

EARLY LOGGING & LAND CLEARING: 

EARLY LOGGING & LAND CLEARING Much of the forest was simply cut and burned for farms. Pines and other softwoods were harvested for lumber for growing cities. Softwoods float better than hardwoods, so could be river run. The hardwoods were cut in the second wave for charcoal, mine props, car parts, furniture, and other products. Did you know the monetary value of the wood harvested from Michigan exceeded the monetary value of all the gold taken from California during the gold rush?

PRESETTLEMENT FOREST COVER: 

PRESETTLEMENT FOREST COVER Source: Great Lakes Assessment web site: http://198.87.4.38/gla/index.htm Early settlement vegetation was obtained from the Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Vegetation mapped by P.J. Comer et al. (1995) using General Land Office surveys dated 1816-1856.

CURRENT FOREST COVER: 

CURRENT FOREST COVER Source: Great Lakes Assessment web site: http://198.87.4.38/gla/index.htm U.S. Forest Service. AVHRR satellite data collected in 1990, and processed by the Southern Forest Experiment Station.

U.P. FOREST ANDLAND COVER CLASS-1993: 

U.P. FOREST AND LAND COVER CLASS-1993 Source: FIA-1993 Excel: FIA/LandUseCoUP

U.P. TIMBERLAND BY FOREST TYPE-1993: 

U.P. TIMBERLAND BY FOREST TYPE-1993 Source: FIA-1993 Excel: FIA/TimberUP-Type

U.P. TIMBERLANDBY OWNERSHIP-1993: 

U.P. TIMBERLAND BY OWNERSHIP-1993 Source: FIA-1993 Excel: FIA/Up Owner & NonForest

VOLUME BY SPECIES GROUP 1980 & 1993: 

VOLUME BY SPECIES GROUP 1980 & 1993 Source: FIA-1993 Excel: MWM/Vol Species UP Note: X-axis labels are species groups, not forest types

GROWTH, HARVEST, AND MORTALITY 1980-1993: 

GROWTH, HARVEST, AND MORTALITY 1980-1993 SOFTWOODS HARDWOODS Source: FIA-1993 Excel: MWM/UP Growth

harvest: 

harvest Annual U.P. Harvest About 1.7 million cords Source: USFS FIA, 1992, Periodic Annual Removals, 1980-1992 How much wood is harvested in the U.P. each year?

Growth: 

Growth Source: USFS FIA, 1992, Periodic Annual Removals, 1980-1992 How much wood is GROWN in the U.P. each year? Annual U.P. Growth About 3.7 million cords

Grow Stock: 

Grow Stock Source: USFS FIA, 1992, Periodic Annual Removals, 1980-1992 How much total wood is STANDING in U.P. forest? Standing Wood Volume in the U.P. About 156 million cords! Around the world 4.7 times!

10 MOST COMMON TREES IN THE U.P.-1993: 

10 MOST COMMON TREES IN THE U.P.-1993 Source: FIA-1993 Excel: MWM/Common Trees

FOREST TYPE DISTRIBUTIONWESTERN & EASTERN U.P.: 

FOREST TYPE DISTRIBUTION WESTERN & EASTERN U.P. Source: FIA-1993 Excel: FIA/TimberCo-Type

WHY ARE PRIVATE FOREST HOLDINGS SO IMPORTANT?: 

WHY ARE PRIVATE FOREST HOLDINGS SO IMPORTANT? Personal reasons. We’ll take a look at the U.P. a bit later. Community reasons. “The land is mine”, said the Creator. “You may not sell it permanently.” “You are merely my tenants and sharecroppers.” - Leviticus 25:23 “If we are going to continue using more and more wood, then we have a moral responsibility to grow more wood to meet that demand.” “The good news is that we can do just that … without destroying our natural forests in the process.” - Dr. Jess Daniels

COMMUNITY REASONS: 

COMMUNITY REASONS Maintenance of lifestyle and traditions. Wood supply. People use more wood each year. Our forest-based economy. Jobs, schools, roads, etc. Wildlife populations extend beyond property boundaries. Future generations of people. Visual quality and sense of place. Watershed protection/water quality. Lets take a look at some of these reasons in a little more detail . . .

WOOD CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED STATES: 

WOOD CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED STATES Source: Genetics Workshop Notes, 1995 2 MILLION BOX CARS ENCIRCLING THE EARTH!

REDUCED TIMBERLAND BASE: 

REDUCED TIMBERLAND BASE DROP IN TIMBERLAND ACREAGE IN THE U.S. 467 million acres in 1990 DROP IN PER CAPITA TIMBERLAND ACREAGE 1.88 acres in 1990 Source: Genetics Workshop Notes, 1995 WHY?

OUR COLLECTIVE ECONOMY: 

OUR COLLECTIVE ECONOMY Michigan forest industry adds over $9 billion each year. Supports 150,000 jobs. Timber sales provide millions to roads and schools, and other local government expenditures. There are 367 primary wood-using mills and an additional 1,733 manufacturers. Is vital to the Upper Peninsula economy. MDNR “Wood Products in Michigan”, 1996.

FORESTS AS A LIFESTYLE CHOICE AND QUALITY ENVIRONMENT: 

FORESTS AS A LIFESTYLE CHOICE AND QUALITY ENVIRONMENT people watersheds wildlife visual Hunting/tradition

TIMBERLAND ACREAGE OWNERSHIP in the UPPER PENINSULA: 

County/Municipal State Federal PRIVATE 5,076,800 acres TIMBERLAND ACREAGE OWNERSHIP in the UPPER PENINSULA Source: PNIF-1994 Excel: MWM/PNIFac-OwnClass INDIVIDUAL 2,826,221 acres Others Clubs/Assns Partnerships Corporate Note: FIA-1994 shows PNIF acreage to be 2,318,600 acres Total Timberland 8,398,300 acres Total U.P. Area 10,509,100 acres

TIMBERLAND ACREAGE - U.P. OWNER OCCUPATION: 

TIMBERLAND ACREAGE - U.P. OWNER OCCUPATION Source: PNIF-1994 Excel: MWM/PNIFac-Various 1000 Acres PNIF Area - 2,826,221 Acres

PNIF OWNERSHIPIN MICHIGAN: 

PNIF OWNERSHIP IN MICHIGAN FOREST HELD BY PRIVATE, NON-INDUSTRIAL LANDOWNERS Only counties which are at least 25% forested are included. Source: FIA-1993 Excel: MWM/MI-Co-PNIF

REASONS TO OWN FOREST LAND: 

REASONS TO OWN FOREST LAND MICHIGAN-WIDE Recreation Part of Residence Esthetic Enjoyment Part of Farm Farm or Domestic Use Land Investment No Answer Other Estate to Pass On Timber Production UPPER PENINSULA Recreation Part of Residence Esthetic Enjoyment No Answer Farm or Domestic Use Other Land Investment Estate to Pass On Timber Production Part of Farm Source: PNIF-1994 Excel: MWM/Reason to Own #1 in Terms of Acres

FOREST TENUREUPPER & LOWER PENINSULA: 

FOREST TENURE UPPER & LOWER PENINSULA Source: PNIF-1994 Excel: MWM/Tenure 90s 80s 50s 70s N/A <40s 40s The UP has a higher percentage of acres in new ownerships and the oldest ownerships. 60s Decade of Acquisition

AVERAGE SIZEOF OWNERSHIP: 

AVERAGE SIZE OF OWNERSHIP All MI SLP NLP EUP WUP Source: PNIF-1994 Excel: MWM/PNIFac-various UP and WUP tend to be larger probably due to large industrial ownerships and further distances from human population centers.

TO HARVEST … OR NOT?: 

TO HARVEST … OR NOT? Source: PNIF-1994 Tables 20 & 23 For All Michigan