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Abstract
The effects of forest management on non-timber resources are of growing concern to forest managers and the public. While many previous studies have reported effects of stand-level treatments (less than 15 ha) on various stand-level attributes, few studies have attempted to document the influence of forest management on the biotic and abiotic characteristics of entire management areas, comprising many stands on hundreds of hectares. The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) was initiated by the Missouri Department of Conservation in 1990 as a long-term study of typical forest management practices on the plant and animal components of those forests. The study is led by the Department's Wildlife and Forestry Divisions, with cooperation from the University of Missouri. The study area, located in the Ozark Region of southeastern Missouri, consists of mature upland oak-hickory and oak-pine forest communities. The study design includes three replications of three forest management systems: evenaged, unevenaged and non-manipulative or control. Management units (i.e. replications) range in size from 266 to 527 ha (657 to 1,302 acres), with a total study area of 3,725 ha (9,200 acres). Initial forest treatments will begin in October 1994. Pre-treatment data is now being collected to investigate the effects of forest management on the composition and spatial distribution of woody and herbaceous vegetation, forest interior birds, reptiles and amphibians, tree canopy insects, forest litter invertebrates, small mammals, tree genetics and nutrient cycling.
Parent Publication
Citation
Brookshire, Brian; Hauser, Carl. 1993. The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project: the effects of forest management on the forest ecosystem. In: Gillespie, Andrew R.; Parker, George R.; Pope, Phillip E.; Rink, George: eds. Proceedings of the 9th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-161. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station: 289-307
