FOREST HEALTH |
A healthy tree is vigorous and disease free. Does this mean that a healthy forest includes only healthy trees? The answer is, "probably not". A healthy forest supports many different life forms, some of which require components of dead, dying and decaying trees. How one defines forest health closely reflects the values and beliefs of the observer.
Every phase of forest development involves forest health, including the proper establishment of appropriate, healthy trees on productive sites; cultural practices that favor vigorous growth of the best trees; reduction of losses to pest organisms; and well planned, careful harvesting that protects standing trees from injury and maintains the integrity of riparian areas. |
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Protection and improvement of forest health are provided for through monitoring, investigation and demonstration efforts that help landowners, consultants, contractors, loggers and industry foresters make informed forest management decisions. This approach is effective because most forest health problems are preventable or can be minimized through proper cultural practices. Examples include, matching tree species to site, pre-planting site exams to evaluate white pine blister rust hazard, and guidelines for avoiding or preventing regeneration weevil damage. Only occasionally do forest health problems require direct action or remedial treatment. Training and demonstrations such as those relating to planting density and thinning regimes have been reliable methods for addressing many of the forest health problems that are preventable. As good forestry practices have been implemented on individual tracts throughout the Commonwealth, the average health, vigor and quality of Virginia's forests has gradually improved. The full benefits of good decisions can continue to accrue over several decades. Seasonal surveys of forest health conditions and continual monitoring of water quality are necessary to detect incipient problems in time to reduce or prevent harmful impact. Detection of problems through formal and informal surveys is a cooperative and collaborative process involving both public and private sectors. Aerial surveys are conducted periodically with contract aircraft, and resulting information is corroborated and supplemented by formal and informal networks of ground observers involving all members of the forestry community in Virginia. As much as practical, forest health activity components are combined with and incorporated into other Department activities to gain efficiencies.
Monitoring, Surveys, Analysis
Water quality monitoring equipment is maintained by field foresters at eight sites associated with logging. The equipment is fully automated, computer controlled and solar powered. Hundreds of water samples are analyzed annually in addition to biological monitoring of benthic organisms. Two additional water quality monitoring stations will be established in FY 96. Forest health monitoring is conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service through annual evaluations of 100 permanent forest plots established throughout the Commonwealth. This information is complemented by surveys of forest conditions not represented in the plot network. Additional surveys are conducted to evaluate the impact of major forest health problems, determine the efficacy of treatments or evaluate risks following detection in incipient problems. Landowners are notified of significant forest health problems, informed of potential impact and referred to consultants and contractors who can provide appropriate treatments. This process resulted in excellent timber salvage rates during the recent southern pine beetle outbreak. Integrated Pest Management Prevention, mitigation and suppression of pest organisms is an integral part of silviculture and forest management. Only occasionally is it necessary to treat pests directly. Since vigorous trees are able to resist many pests and are resilient when they do sustain pest depredations, the majority of pest problems can be avoided or minimized through cultural practices that maintain tree vigor. When this approach is inadequate, alternative management strategies are implemented; examples include: insecticide protections of pine seedlings against weevils on high hazard sites; preplanting inspections to evaluate and modify the threat of white pine blister rust on high hazard sites; stump treatment to prevent annosum root rot infections on high hazard sites, suppression salvage of southern pine beetle infested stands to prevent additional infestation and in marketing dead trees before they deteriorate. Most integrated pest management practices are implemented through information and education programs for practitioners and landowners. Direct treatments are usually provided by the private sector on a contractual basis.
Forest Genetics Improvement
Characteristics of tree form, growth and vigor are strongly affected by their genetic constitution, which can be influenced through classical plant selection and breeding techniques. This involves locating wild trees with desirable characteristics, breeding them in various combinations, growing their progeny to determine which characteristics breed true, establishing orchards of the best selections and using their seed to grow seedlings for reforestation. Forests established in this way produce larger volumes of higher quality wood more quickly than natural forests. Selections of the best progeny trees can be used to repeat the process for even greater gains. It is a very long-term, ongoing program and the results have been dramatic to date. Seeds are collected from the Department's orchards each year, stored, treated and used to grow seedlings for Virginia's landowners. The operational forest genetic improvement program has only involved pine species so far because hardwoods are normally regenerated naturally. Proper harvesting will generally result in adequate hardwood regeneration from seeds, understory trees and stump sprouts. Pines will only regenerate naturally under ideal circumstances, and the forests that result are more costly to manage than planted stands.
Forest Health Technical Assistance
Since forest health is an integral part of forest protection and forest development activities, much of its implementation is accomplished in conjunction with these efforts. Some information, education and technical assistance programs focus exclusively on forest health issues and practices, but as much as possible forest health is incorporated into tree planting programs, management plans, cultural practices, pre-harvest plans and harvesting activities. Forest health problem diagnosis and treatment recommendations are provided to consultants, contractors, loggers, industrial foresters and landowners directly on request, through the distribution of technical literature and through training and demonstrations. Training in the field and classroom is provided through formal advertised programs, and presentations at conferences and meetings. Demonstrations are established on State Forest properties or conducted at training sites.
Resource Assessment,
GIS, Data Collection
The extent and complexity of forest resources in Virginia, the pattern of land ownership, the importance of private property rights and rapidly changing demographics make it difficult to maintain current information about forest conditions in the Commonwealth. Developing technology allows a considerable amount of resource assessment to be conducted remotely through the manipulation of satellite imagery, aerial photography, population data, cartographic information, historical records and personnel knowledge with Geographic Information Systems. The Department uses this technology to characterize resource conditions so it can direct its efforts effectively and efficiently. Constant changes in land use, land ownership, forest characteristics, market conditions and harvesting patterns, and continuing improvements in technology require continual data collection and refinements to this process. A critical element to the validity and usefulness of this approach to resource assessment is local knowledge of conditions. It is the experienced input of local field foresters that ensures the reliability of results.
Source : Virginia Department of Forestry
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