Projects maintain, restore biodiversity of forest habitats

In our “biodiversity” section, Treesource.org will cover all aspects of biological interactions associated with forests: the diversity of plant and animals associated with different forest types and ages; the complexity or simplicity of forests; the insects and fungi that shape forests, both native and introduced species.

We will look at threatened, endangered and at-risk species and ecosystems, and how they are helped or harmed by human management of forests. We’ll examine how occurrences such as high numbers of deer or bark beetles can affect forest dynamics and their interaction with disturbances such as fire, fire exclusion, weather and climate events, and how that affects family forest owners, public landowners and production forest owners.

Finally, we will explore how forests and climate change interact with biological diversity and the implications for our parks, wildernesses and other reserved areas, as well as for the forests that are managed for other goods and services.  

In addition to our original content, we will aggregate a variety of stories in this section, such as this look at a small habitat restoration project in Pennsylvania.

We will also look at broad geographic projects that work across ownerships to restore forested ecosystems to support a rich diversity of species while still producing income for landowners and providing the wood products that society needs to live sustainably on this planet.

These two videos are examples of efforts to restore longleaf pine forests in the southeastern United States.  It is a forest type that has been dramatically reduced over the past 100-plus years – and, subsequently, many of the plant and animal species that rely on it for their habitat. Many agencies and landowners have come together to create the economic incentives and develop the techniques to implement large-scale restoration through a multitude of smaller actions.

The integration of social will, with economic rewards, to achieve a desired environmental outcome is at the heart of sustainability. We hope you will join us on this exploration of what is possible when the alignment of all these worthy goals is achieved.