Supplemental Notes for Part 2: Chapter 6: Temperate Forests of Cox (1997) : Terrestrial Ecosystems

A Reading to be Discussed and/or Handed Out in Class

Franklin, Jerry F. 1988. Structural and functional diversity in temperate forests, pp. 166-175, IN Biodiversity (E. O. Wilson, ed.). National Academy Press. Washington, DC.

Other Readings (Cited Below) To Be Discussed: Take Notes in Class

I. Diverse meanings of the term "diversity"

A. Discussion of Defining Biodiversity (Raven 1994).

B. Focus on community structure as basis for conservation of biodiversity.

1. Regional examples: Diamond, et. al. 1987; Edwards, et. al. 1988.

II. Historical Impacts on Temperate Zone Ecosystems

A. Discussion of Franklin's statements that (1) "settlement and development have had drastic impacts," (2) "many ecosystems have been entirely eliminated," and (3) "remaining examples of natural ecosystems are fragmented and highly modified."

B. Indiana as an example to illustrate and validate Franklin's statements. (refer to handout or class presentation from Lindsey (1966).

1. Page xv: original prevalence of wet terrain: Beaver Lake example.

2. Chapter 16:94% of original natural vegetation has been eliminated.

3. Chapter 16: Remaining forest communities today are structurally different from original majestic forests; original forests were dominated by beeches and maples.

4. Page xviii:note the descriptions of majestic early bottomlands.

5. Discuss the concept of late successional species.

a. Page xvii: Passenger Pigeon/Beech Mast

b. Ivory-billed Woodpecker as a southern forests example.

C. Are comparable changes evident in other temperate regions?

1. Discussions of LANDSAT data from Texas

a. Evaluate the trends in landuse presented by Hayes et al. (1987)

2. Forest fragmentation and reduction have been dramatic in Finland

a. Validating literature: Helle (1985a); Punkari [1984 as cited in Helle (1985a)]

3. 84% reduction Florida longleaf pine forests

a. Validating literature: Repenning (1985)

4. Over 95% of Missouri's southeastern lowland forest was eliminated by 1975

a. Validating literature: Korte and Fredrickson (1977)

III. Discussion of Bibliography as is relates to Habitat/Wildlife Community Structure Relationships and Conservation Implications of Management Policies

A. Some pertinent literature drawn from journals is compiled in a bibliography available to you upon request in class.

1. Is habitat structure important in determining aspects of bird community structure?

a. A number of papers examine habitat structure as it relates to bird communities. Many are short-term comparative studies of contrasting sites, and thus suffer from the problem of controlling variables other than vegetational differences. None the less, the weight of the evidence indicates strong relationships between habitat structure and bird community structure.

b. Some papers present results of long-term studies of the same sites. For example, Engstrom, et al. (1984) studied an 8.6 hectare pineland site in Florida. These studies support the hypothesis that habitat structure is an important component affecting bird community structure and function.

2. Are there species typical of certain successional stages, and do some species require mature forests?

a. The majority of studies indicate that the answer to these questions is "yes." A minority of papers did note little difference in species diversity and/or overall densities between forest stages, but a look and the individual species data showed striking differences did exist in actual community structure. Watch for bias in the way data are presented, even in peer-reviewed journals. Are the studies supported by organizations who have a financial stake in logging, for example?

3. Have large-scale changes in habitats (i.e. regional changes) had effects on bird communities of undisturbed virgin forest or other undisturbed habitats?

a. Some papers point to changes in bird community structure even in areas that have not been directly altered [e.g. Helle (1986), Marshall (1988), Wilcove (1988)].

IV. A Look and the U.S. Forest Service

A. Can certain forestry practices have a negative affect on the conservation of biodiversity?

1. Many papers deal with this topic. Clearly the answer is yes. Public policy regarding management of national forests is very important in conservation of biodiversity. It is possible to integrate both conservation and economic goals in management plans.

B. Positive effects on science and conservation through funding of research.

C. Negative effects on conservation when politics and greed override wise conservation management plans/

1. Discussion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement Abstract for the Land and Resource Management Plan for the Ouachita National Forest.

2. Discussion of direct testimony from U.S. District Court (1988) hearings on Sam Houston National Forest management. Stewart served as and expert witness on behalf of the State of Texas vs. the U.S. Forest Service.