Forest Management Part 2 - A Necessity for Forest Health and Wildlife Diversity!
Posted:10/23/2024
Black Hawk
Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) is a necessity for the health
of our forests. Just like a vegetable or flower garden, our forests
contain desirable and less-desirable tree and shrub species. Some of these are
not native to Iowa, competing with our local native hardwood and softwood trees
for sunlight, space, and soil moisture. These include the invasive Siberian
elm, autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, and multiflora rose, to name a few.
As with gardens, Black Hawk County's native desirable trees are not all the
same when it comes to overall health and benefits to the diversity of the
forest, wildlife, and outdoor recreation. Wind, flooding, invasive pests,
storms, and human interaction all play a role in the overall health of a
forest. Some trees have short life spans while others can flourish for several
hundred years! Others provide great wildlife and pollinator benefits, while
others not much. Some trees’ wood fibers are highly valued for building lumber,
but many are not. Some are just more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than
others. This list goes on and on…
With all this diversity in our forests, it is crucial to implement Timber
Stand Improvement (TSI) practices to enhance and maintain all these great
benefits into the future. TSI centers around two themes: 1) Thinning
overcrowded young stands to encourage spacing for health and fast growth and,
2) Weeding old/mature stands to improve overall stand species and health. Some
of the practices can include tree weeding and thinning (think garden!), tree
canopy release, invasive species control, and tree harvests. Hardwood species
such as oak, walnut, sugar maple, hickory, and coffee tree are typically high
priorities to maintain in our forests into the future. The photo shows girdle
rings from a chainsaw, leaving the tree to die upright to create future insect
and woodpecker habitat.
Several months ago, the Black Hawk County Conservation board members approved
a Forest Management Plan for Black Hawk Parks Developed Areas.
These are fragmented forested areas adjacent to the campgrounds, picnic areas,
and ranges. Included is a map identifying some of the TSI practices recommended
and where. This plan has already been set in motion and will continue into the
next several years.
If you have any questions, please contact the conservation board headquarters
at 319-433-7275.