It is crowded in here: How open forests have disappeared and why we should bring them back

Brice Hanberry

Treesearch

It is crowded in here: How open forests have disappeared and why we should bring them back

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Brice Hanberry

Year:

2021

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), March 2021. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Download (PDF 1.65 MB)

Download (PDF 1.65 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/64817.pdf

Abstract

Open forests, once common in the eastern United States, are defined by a fire-resistant overstory of trees and a diverse herbaceous layer that can be maintained by frequent low-intensity fires. These forests started disappearing with land-use changes and widespread management practices and are now rare in the landscape; many species associated with these forests have been lost or are on the decline. Restoration of open forests for the long term includes management of the herbaceous layer, continuity of the overstory, and managing tree regeneration, which can be accomplished with fire, thinning, and herbicides. When open forest restoration is possible, it may help to restore rare ecosystem conditions and declining species.

Keywords

Science You Can Use, SYCU, open forests, land-use changes, land management, restoration

Citation

Hanberry, Brice. 2021. It is crowded in here: How open forests have disappeared and why we should bring them back. Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), March 2021. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.