Forest Reference Conditions for Ecosystem Management in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico
Forest Reference Conditions for Ecosystem Management in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

We present the history of land use and historic vegetation conditions on the Sacramento Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest within the framework of an ecosystem needs assessment. We reconstruct forest vegetation conditions and ecosystem processes for the period immediately before Anglo-American settlement using General Land Office survey records, historic studies and accounts, and reconstructive studies such as dendrochronological histories of fire and insect outbreak and studies of old growth. Intensive grazing, clearcut logging, fire suppression, and agriculture in riparian areas have radically altered forest structure and processes since the 1880s, when intensive settlement began in the Sacramento Mountains. Present forests are younger and more dense than historic ones, and in areas that were previously dominated by ponderosa pine, dominance has shifted to Douglas-fir and white fir in the absence of frequent surface fire. Landscapes are more homogeneous and contiguous than historic ones, facilitating large-scale, intense disturbances such as insect outbreaks and crown fires.

Identification and Ecology of Old Ponderosa Pine Trees in the Colorado Front Range
Identification and Ecology of Old Ponderosa Pine Trees in the Colorado Front Range

Author: Laurie Stroh Huckaby

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 56

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

We describe the distinguishing physical characteristics of old ponderosa pine trees in the Front Range of Colorado, the processes that tend to preserve them, their past and present ecological significance, and their role in ecosystem restoration. Photographs illustrate identifying features of old ponderosa pines and show how to differentiate them from mature and young trees. The publication includes a photographic gallery of old ponderosa pine trees growing on poor, moderate, and good sites. We illustrate trees growing under various forest conditions and with different injuries and histories. We discuss dendrochronological methods of aging old trees and determining their fire history. The companion field guide includes a condensed description of ponderosa pine ecology, distinguishing characteristics of old ponderosa pines, and a photographic gallery illustrating their identifying features.

The Historical Ecology Handbook
The Historical Ecology Handbook

Author: Dave Egan

Publisher: Island Press

Published: 2005-08-12

Total Pages: 488

ISBN-13: 1597260339

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A fundamental aspect of the work of ecosystem restoration is to rediscover the past and bring it into the present-to determine what needs to be restored, why it was lost, and how best to make it live again. This handbook makes essential connections between past and future ecosystems, bringing together leading experts to offer a much-needed introduction to the field of historical ecology and its practical application by on-the-ground restorationists. - from publisher description.

Managing Gambel Oak in Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Forests
Managing Gambel Oak in Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Forests

Author: Scott R. Abella

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) is a key deciduous species in southwestern ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests and is important for wildlife habitat, soil processes, and human values. This report (1) summarizes Gambel oak's biological characteristics and importance in ponderosa pine forests, (2) synthesizes literature on changes in tree densities and fire frequencies since Euro-American settlement in pine-oak forests, (3) suggests management prescriptions for accomplishing various oak management objectives (for example, increasing diameter growth or acorn production), and (4) provides an appendix containing 203 Gambel oak literature citations organized by subject. Nine studies that reconstructed Gambel oak density changes since settlement in the late 1800s reported that densities of small oaks have escalated, with increases ranging from 4- to more than 63-fold. A possible argument for passive oak management, that overall oak abundance has decreased, is not supported by published research. Manipulating oak growth forms is one of the main means for managing oak and ecosystem components affected by oak. Published research has classified variants of three basic oak growth forms: shrubby thickets of small stems, pole-sized clumps, and large trees. Burning and cutting constitute major prescriptions for manipulating these growth forms, whereas pine thinning has most consistently increased oak diameter growth for promoting large oaks. Because of their high ecological value, large, old oaks should be retained in any management prescription. Sufficient research has been published on which to base some oak management prescriptions, but additional research on poorly understood aspects of oak's ecology is needed to refine and improve oak management.