Pacific Northwest Research Station

Title: Wisdom from the little folk: the forest tales of birds, squirrels, and fungi.

Author: Duncan, Sally.

Date: 1999

Source: Science Findings. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. July (16): 1-5

Description: Ecosystem function—the internal dynamics of a forest—is now recognized as a crucial component to forest health and biological diversity.

Pacific Northwest Research Station scientist Andy Carey and others propose that the presence of small critters can be a measure of a forest's health. His research also shows that thinning, rather than legacy retention, produces higher quality trees for timber and plant diversity.

Carey's findings suggest that concurrent management of decadence, stand structure, and plant species composition is required for ecosystem management. High-quality wood may result from the use of good forestry techniques, but employing scientifically planned ecosystems can produce economic goods and ecological services.

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Citation

Duncan, Sally.  1999.  Wisdom from the little folk: the forest tales of birds, squirrels, and fungi..   Science Findings. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. July (16): 1-5