Multiple stressors produce a vulnerable landscape Climate change Atmospheric pollution/acid deposition Altered natural disturbance regimes, spread of exotic organisms Human modified biophysical environment, ex-urban sprawl and development Vulnerable landscapes and ecosystems

From: Keeton (2007). George Wright Forum.

Late-Successional Reserves Established by the Northwest Forest Plan From: Vogt, K.A… W.S. Keeton et al Ecosystems: Balancing Science with Management. Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y. 4

Matrix Mgt. on Private Lands Achieved indirectly (not explicitly) through aggregate of efforts across individuals ownerships and parcels – Bottom up Promoted (Top down) through: –Tax-incentive programs –Market based mechanisms –Community-based forestry –Limited acquisition of HCVs

Former Champion International Lands 132,000 acres total: 26,000 to West Mountain Wildlife Management Area 22,000 to Nulhegen National Wildlife Refuge 84,000 to Essex Timber Co.

Former International Paper Lands: 172,000 acres

HRV Historical Range of Variability: Pre-settlement late-successional forest in the northern hardwood region Modified from Aplet and Keeton (1999) using data from Lorimer and White (2003); Time scale and disturbances (peaks) are hypothetical

Disturbance based forestry: emulating natural disturbance scales, frequencies, and biological legacies

Principles of Disturbance- Based Forest Management at the Stand Scale From Franklin, Mitchell, and Palik (2007): “Incorporating biological legacies into harvest prescriptions Incorporating natural stand development processes, including small-scale disturbance, into intermediate treatments Allowing for appropriate recovery periods between regeneration harvests” Fig. from Franklin et al. (2007).

“Demonstration of Ecosystem Management Options” “Weyerhaeuser Co., British Columbia

Adapted from: Seymour et al. (2002). Forest Ecology and Management Mimicking scale and frequency of disturbances Clearcutting Group Selection

Adapted from: Seymour et al. (2002). Forest Ecology and Management Modified in: North and Keeton (2008). IUFRO Supported by old-growth research in: Upper Midwest U.S. (Woods 2004, Hanson and Lorimer 2007) Northeast U.S. (Ziegler 2002, Curzon and Keeton, in review) Slovenia (Nagel et al. 2006) Comparing Natural Disturbances to Forest Management Clearcutting Group Selection Multi- Cohort Mgt. Ice Storms and Microburst Wind Events

“Expanding Gap” Study. Univ. of Maine. Expanding group selection with retention Entry cycle and area in openings mimic disturbance frequency and intensity (Seymour 2005, Saunders and Wagner 2005)

75 Mg/Ha

90 Mg/Ha

20 Mg/ha

Lessons for Ecosystem Management EM models must be adaptive to global change.  Key: Manage for ecosystem resilience Managed landscape will play critical role in ecosystem sustainability Learn from historical variability and processes Emulate natural disturbance patterns and processes Manage for ecological complexity at stand and landscape scales