A SILVICULTURE BREEDING HUNTING AND HARVESTING

Managing forest biodiversity at an installation requires consideration of landscape elements of scale, disturbance, fragmentation, and habitat. At the local level, forest stand attributes such as structural diversity, crown closure, fuel loads, soils, standing dead trees, coarse woody debris, tree species diversity, and large wildlife trees, have a direct impact on biodiversity. When considering the various forest elements critical to biodiversity, it is also essential to consider the interaction of forests with other habitats, and the interdependence of habitats (e.g. unimproved grassland, wetlands, and hedgerows).

Regardless of size, forests can provide habitats for a range of flora and fauna. Even small, recently established forests within otherwise intensively cultivated land can be useful, although the scope may be limited due to isolation and, in certain circumstances, they can harbor pest species. Forest management scales are generally defined by human-made or jurisdictional boundaries (e.g., landscape unit, watershed, forest stand) and on military installations by mission-related requirements. They do not necessarily apply to biological systems and managers may need to adapt them to accommodate more biologically sound scales. This may require coordination with local and regional neighbors.