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Office of Watershed Management Science and Technical Advisory Committee Watershed Forestry Projects
Visual Changes in a Typical Timber Sale at the Wachusett Reservoir
Division of
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Click through the small images to find out about the different elements of Watershed Forestry |
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The Forest Biofilter |
Natural Disturbances |
Building Resistance and Resilience |
Protecting Water Quality |
Conserving Biodiversity |
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Diverse Forests are Better
How to reduce risk in the face of catastrophic disturbance?
Diversity is a good thing when it comes to the ability of the forest to resist damage or rebound quickly in the wake of a hurricane or major insect infestation. However, at present, our watershed forests are not as diverse in age or structure as they could be.
As a result of decades of over-browsing by deer, previous land use patterns, and the legacy of the 1938 hurricane, only 10% of the forest is less than 15 years old, and the rest is mostly even aged, and 70 or more years old. Why are age and height important? A study of damage to the forest from the 1938 hurricane found a general trend of increasing damage with age. Depending on the species, 10 year-old stands were damaged at the rate of 0 to 15%, whereas 30 year-old stands were damaged at rates ranging from near zero to 100%. At age 70, the minimum damage rate was 30%.
That is why DWSP forest managers are following a publicly reviewed management plan that will gradually lead to a well balanced mix of young, mid-aged, and older trees (as well as a variety of species) well distributed across the watershed.
By 2055, there will be much LESS of this: |
..and much More of this: |
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one age class, few species, sparse understory |
multi-level, multi aged, diverse forest |
