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Evening Program Forest Health

The document outlines an evening program on forest health in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The program objectives are to help participants understand what constitutes a healthy forest, gain knowledge about forest management practices in the SNRA, and learn about major forest diseases impacting the area. The program includes interactive activities like a tree parts game and discussions of forest ecology, management techniques, and current issues like mountain pine beetle infestations. The goal is to educate the public on maintaining forest health through balanced practices that consider both human and ecological needs.

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83 views5 pages

Evening Program Forest Health

The document outlines an evening program on forest health in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The program objectives are to help participants understand what constitutes a healthy forest, gain knowledge about forest management practices in the SNRA, and learn about major forest diseases impacting the area. The program includes interactive activities like a tree parts game and discussions of forest ecology, management techniques, and current issues like mountain pine beetle infestations. The goal is to educate the public on maintaining forest health through balanced practices that consider both human and ecological needs.

Uploaded by

api-367283836
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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EVENING PROGRAM

Forest Health in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Name and Date: Claire Mann 6/10/17

Program Title: Forest Health in the Sawtooth NRA

Program Objectives:

Program participants will understands how we define a healthy forest


Program participants will have a general understanding of how we manage our
forests in the SNRA
Program participants will have a general understanding of major forest disease in
the SNRA

Program Length: 45min-1 hour

Equipment and Supplies:

- Cards for tree game


- Tree cookies
- Mountain Pine Beetle Samples
- Wood with beetle galleries
- Wood with blue stain fungus
Program Outline:

Introduction: Name, organization, icebreaker (name and favorite tree), overview of program (3
min)

Tree Parts Game: Pass out tree part cards to each program participant (give kids easier ones).
Ask participants what they think the function of their part is? Explain each part of the tree; pass
out diagrams and tree cookies. Once all parts have been explained have the participants form a
human tree, starting with xylem and building outward. Have the whole group act out the
parts of their tree (ex. Roots will pretend to be drinking water) (10 min)

Now that the participants are familiar with the structure of trees begin taking about the main
tree species found within the Sawtooth NRA. Pass out pictures/pinecones of each tree species
(5 min).

- Quaking Aspen

- Lodge Pole Pine


EVENING PROGRAM
Forest Health in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area
- White Bark Pine

- Douglas Fir

- Sup Alpine Fir

- Engelmann Spruce

Discussion: What Makes a Healthy Forest? (10 min)

How many of you have been hiking in the SNRA?


What are some things you have noticed about the Forest?
What do you think makes a healthy forest?

Two Definitions:
Utilitarian: A healthy forest is one that best meets human needs (timber especially)
Ecological: A healthy forest is a forest that possesses the ability to sustain the unique species
composition and processes that exist within it

The SNRA manages its forest with both definitions in mind, for my talk we will focus on the
ecosystem centered version

Management: What are we managing and why?

- Managing our forests directly corresponds with managing our wildlife


- White Bark Pine and Clarks Nutcracker
- Birds feed on Mountain Pine Beetle and Larvae
- Dead trees provide summer nest areas for birds
- Managing our forests for loggers
- Firewood
- Logs to be made into poles (post and pole fencing)
- Need permits to log in SNRA
Forest Pathology: Whats happening to our forest? (10 min)

-Raise your hand if youve noticed all the dead and downed trees in our forest?
-Why do you think there are so many dead trees?
Highlight some of the pathogens we are currently battling in the SNRA
EVENING PROGRAM
Forest Health in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Mountain Pine Beetle


- Dendroctonus ponderosae
- Beetle native to North America, affects all coniferous species here, but mostly
lodge pole, and white bark pine.
- Outbreaks are natural but have been exacerbated by droughts, warm winters,
and old dense forests (single age stands)
- Beetles find tree and release pheromones letting other beetles know they found
a good tree, when done they release a second pheromone to say the tree is full
- As a first defense the tree tries to push the beetle larvae out with sap
- Beetles carry fungus on their heads called blue stain fungus, this fungus chokes
of the phloem, which prevents the tree from spreading its photosynthate
eventually killing the tree
- Cant be totally controlled, forest service uses pheromones to keep MPBs away
from healthy trees
- Infestation is largely over with
Doug Fir Beetle
- Dendroctonus pseudostugae
- Old, dense stands of large diameter Doug-fir are highly susceptible
- Epidemics are natural and usual short, but may still kill off large stands
- Mitigation: prevention (quick removal of wind thrown, fire damaged or
defoliated trees, i.e. stressed trees)
- Mitigation: Pheromones (baits trees that are already being removed, or use anti-
aggregation pheromones on high value trees)
Tussock Moth
- Effects multiple tree species, Doug-fir, true firs, Engelmann spruce
- Infestations may lead to partial or total defoliation
- Usually doesnt kill trees but makes them predisposed to other diseases
- Larvae are covered in hairs that can cause skin irritation and rash on humans
(tussockosis)
White Pine Blister Rust
- Cronartium ribicola
- Non-native fungus
- All white pine species susceptible ( We have white bark pine)
- Alternate host Ribes sp. (current)
- Rusts have multiple life stages
- White bark pine is important high elevation species so we are working very hard
to prevent loss of this species
EVENING PROGRAM
Forest Health in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area
Armaillaria Root Rot
- Armaillaria Mellea
- Wide spread native species
- Black rhizomorphs look like shoe strings (stoestring root rot)

Forest Disturbances: Good or Bad? (5 min)

- Do you think disturbance is a bad thing? Why or why not?

Disturbance is an important part of forest health. Disturbance allows for re-composition of the
forest. For example Aspen trees are dependent on disturbance for establishment. Aspen trees
in the SNRA typically dont produce seeds, after a disturbance such as a fire aspen trees can
sprout from their roots. One of the worlds largest organisms is a group of identical aspen trees
that stretch across 100 acres of land. Its name is Pando which is Latin for I spread

Some trees have serotionus cones, meaning the cones only open to let out seeds in the
presence of heat (typically fire)

Many trees are shade intolerant and need disturbance to reopen the canopy so they can
sprout.

Death is an important part of the life cycle and allows nutrients to be returned to the earth.
Snags and dead logs are also important to wildlife; many birds make their homes in snags.

Forest Management: How do we keep our forest healthy? (10 min)

There are many forest management techniques

(1) prevention, to keep exotic species from becoming established or spreading farther, to prevent
wildfire through fuels reduction, to prevent disease and insect damage through hazard reduction;
(2) integrated management, to deal with exotic agents now firmly established, to reestablish
appropriate levels and functions of native insects and diseases;
(3) suppression, of fire, diseases and insects when the alternative is unacceptable
(4) restoration, of damaged watersheds, of fire in the ecosystem, of tree species and structures that
have become scarce;
(5) monitoring, to track broad vegetation trends, to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments, make
adaptations as we continue to learn, and to detect emerging problems.

In the NRA we have a forester that manages the whole forest. He works under many laws including
NEPA (the national environmental policy act). He makes most of the decisions about how to manage the
forest within the policys that have been previously set. Management is not a cut and dry practice, and
EVENING PROGRAM
Forest Health in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area

there is never one answer. Managing a forest means taking into account all the plants and animals of
the forest. It is a delicate balance. Management practices are constantly changing as we face new
problems. Arguably the most important part of management is monitoring. The more we monitor our
forest the more we will understand our forest. With a greater level of understanding we will hopefully
be able to do the best thing for the forest and all the species of plants and animals that interact with it.

Closing (5 min)

Questions?

Thank everyone for coming, mention SIHA one last time. Encourage participants to
donate/become members!

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