"Trees
are the answer," a wise bumper sticker once said. Trees are renewable
and therefore an eco-logic-ally smart choice for today's paper,
structural, and manufacturing needs. The question is, what about tomorrow?
Will our forests continue to be productive enough for future generations?
The demand for wood products is climbing at twice the rate of population
growth. While the region's forests account for only 11 percent of the
Nation's forest lands, they contain 20 percent of the Nation's forest
industry lands and hardwood growing stock. A steady demand for Midwest
timber comes from 1,500 wood-using firms that employ more than 400,000
people.
On the supply side, changes in land-use
patterns and social preferences mean that fewer lands in the Midwest wood
basket are available for timber harvest. Actively managed lands are
feeling the pressure, and on some ownerships, aspen harvest already
exceeds net aspen growth-an unsustainable pattern. A history of high grade
harvesting and a lack of management planning means that many forests,
laden with cull timber and less than desirable species, are not as
productive as they could be.
We're headed into a funnel formed by these demand-supply trend lines, and
we believe that research is one way to ensure we come out the other end
with the productive capacity of our forests and our forest-based economy
intact. What's needed? In our estimation, significantly more wood must
become available on public and private lands, and those increases will
require (1) improved genetic material; (2) improved, cost-effective
silvicultural systems; (3) more efficient, environmentally friendly
harvesting systems; and (4) socially acceptable implementation of
high-yield forestry.
We're also aware that one silvicultural
system will not fit all. This region is characterized by a diversity of
ownerships, a continuum of management intensities (from plantation to
natural stands), and a diversity of forest types (from aspen and jack pine
to fine hardwoods). The challenge is to meet wood supply and
sustainability goals in ways that are as diverse as the landscape. We
believe "research is the answer," but it will require new
thinking and a far more active integration of disciplines than we've ever
attempted.
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Facts about Forest Productivity
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Although the forested area of Indiana is comparatively low, forest acres can be highly productive due to good site quality. Among states in the North Central region, Indiana has the highest timber volume per acre of timberland. Indiana also has the largest number of veneer mills for processing high value hardwoods.
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