Future of Our Forests Current Issues in Today’s Forests Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Barry Conservation District District Forester: Benjamin Savoie

Forestry Assistance Program Advice and referrals Public education Encourage active management of forested land Gateway to programs and professionals

Objectives for Today Understand the History of Forest Management Pre-European Settlement Fire Suppression Impacts of biodiversity Current Issues Introduction of invasive species Management practices

A Brief History

Examples of Forest Types in MI Oak Barrens

Examples of Forest Types in MI Central Hardwoods

Examples of Forest Types in MI Northern Hardwoods

A Brief History Change from Mostly Oak-Hickory Forest to Mostly Agriculture and Urban. Bits that remain unchanged are highly fragmented or too swampy to develop.

How Did We Get Here? Open areas and Oak Savannas were really convenient for agriculture. Growing population requires more farms for food, more houses.

How Did We Get Here? Fragmentation of Ecosystems When broken into smaller pieces, reduces available habitat for species. Affects animals and even plants, they can’t adapt and move fast enough. Smaller patches support smaller amounts of species, lowers biodiversity.

How Did We Get Here? Fire as method of forest and wildlife management pre-colonization. Native peoples planning regular burns to promote new plant growth, open up forests and plains. Oak-Hickory transition to Beech-Maple Fire-adapted to shade-tolerant. Lack of disturbance, natural succession.

How Did We Get Here? Fire Suppression Deadly forest fires from 1800-1900’s cause panic, policy of immediate extinguishing. Some forest types depend on fire to maintain species composition.

Back to Present Day Importance of native species? What is an invasive species? Biodiversity in today’s forests?

Biodiversity How many unique living things are there? Plants, animals, etc. Niches, the Assembly Line of nature. Structural Diversity is important as well. Trees → Shrubs → Ground Cover When many ecological roles are filled, it is harder to disrupt the system.

Biodiversity Alpha Diversity: Diversity within local units. Beta Diversity: Differences between local units Gamma Diversity: Composition of local units. Some species grow by themselves, but over a large region may add to total biodiversity.

Biodiversity

Why Native Species? Native: Indigenous to the area, and occurs naturally, without human intervention. People have been a part of native ecosystems, but we can introduce non- native species that cause problems. The preferred ecosystem has all native plants, since they have adapted their survival strategies around each other.

Why Not Invasive Species? An invasive species is any non-native, plant, animal, or pathogen, that is introduced to an ecosystem and likely to cause harm. Not all non-natives are invasive, but all invasive species are non-native. Since the ecosystem typically has no way to compete against the invasive species, they tend to take over large areas. A few species will be discussed later on.

Dealing with Invasive Species

Dealing with Invasive Species CISMAs! Cooperative Invasive Species Management Network Agencies partnering up to educate landowners and eliminate invasive species. Barry, Calhoun, and Kalamazoo for local area.

Look Familiar?

Tree Diseases and Pests Species across the ecological landscape feed off of trees and shrubs. Fungi Insects Bacteria And many more! Not all are deadly, not all are dangerous.

Native Diseases and Pests Eastern Tent Caterpillar Forest Tent Caterpillar Many wood-boring beetles and woodwasps Armillaria Root Rot Bacterial Leaf Scorch Maple Tar Spot

Invasive Species Past examples include: Emerald Ash Borer Autumn Olive Dutch Elm Disease These are widespread throughout the region and we have seen the effects, but we're learning from them and we can do something about more recent threats.

Image Source: MSU Extension High Risk for SW MI HEMLOCK WOOLY ADELGID Image Source: MSU Extension

High Risk for SW MI HEMLOCK WOOLY ADELGID Produce white, waxy protective shell Sap-feeders Most of hemlock population in MI is very old, very susceptible to damage from HWA Spreads via wood movement, birds Adelgid most vulnerable in larval stage, before producing wax

Impacts Infestation extreme on East Coast, found in few counties in SW Michigan www.savemihemlocks.org Still in early eradication phase for MI Internal Quarantine for known area.

Image Source: MSU Extension High Risk for SW MI OAK WILT Image Source: MSU Extension

High Risk for SW MI OAK WILT Ceratocystis fagacearum Parasitic fungus, Oaks act as hosts Red Oak Family particularly vulnerable Travels via Nitidulid beetles, spores, and roots Feeds off of vascular tissue Severe symptoms, but can be confused with many other diseases (Root rot, Scorch)

Impacts Small Pockets in SW MI Dunes in Ottawa County Potential loss of main component of Barry County’s woods if nothing done.

Image Source: MSU Extension High Risk for SW MI BEECH BARK DISEASE Image Source: MSU Extension

High Risk for SW MI BEECH BARK DISEASE Fungal infection, carried by Beech Scale Scales produce white, waxy cover to protect themselves while feeding. Causes rapid decay, “widowmakers”, inhibits reproductive growth. Formation of Beech “Thickets” Beech is an important hard mast available to wildlife.

Impacts Not much Beech in Barry County, looking more near western lakeshore habitats.

High Risk for SW MI ASIAN LONG-HORNED BEETLE Image Source: MSU Extension

ASIAN LONG-HORNED BEETLE High Risk for SW MI ASIAN LONG-HORNED BEETLE Not seen in Michigan yet, but very close by. Wood-boring beetle, like Emerald Ash Borer Generalist for hosts Maples, Elms, Ash, Hackberry, Birches, Aspens, Willows, and more... On top of other invasive species, could spell for ecological disaster

Impacts

The Takeaway Message

The Takeaway Message Management is key! Walk through your woods. Passively owning forests not enough to deal with current issues. Walk through your woods. You never know what you’ll find! Ask questions. Friendly neighborhood District Forester!

Questions?