Forest Management

It is important to protect the southeastern forest due to the dependence on resources that are provided. The southeastern forest is impacted by insect pests, invasive flora and fauna, diseases, climate change, and catastrophic wildfires.

Non-Timber Forest Products, or NTFPs, can provide landowners with additional income that is already found on their land. They include a wide range of edible, medicinal, decorative, and handcrafted goods harvested from woodlands that have economic value. In short, they are the materials that are not associated with the growing stock of a forest. NTFP are often overlooked and may provide landowners with additional income.

Helpful links:

Inside Agroforestry: Seeing the non-timber forest products for the trees

Non-timber Forest Products for Foliage and Floral Industries

Prescribed burning provides many benefits to the environment. These benefits include vegetation control, fuel reduction, nutrient cycling, increased biodiversity, habitat restoration, wildlife management, pest control, and reduced wildfire risks. The southeastern United States fauna and flora have adapted to frequent, low intensity fire and depend on it. In order to maintain forests, prescribed burning must occur every one to two years. Educating the general public of these benefits not only provides more fire on the landscape, but also encourages young generations to learn more about the environment they live in.

Helpful links:

Alabama Prescribed Burn Act

Alabama Prescribed Burning Guide

Alabama Prescribed Fire Council

Southern Fire Exchange

The process of thinning is often used to help with the control of the stocking levels of trees and can provide additional income. The crowns of a tree begin to close as trees grow, thus increasing competition for resources such as water, light, and nutrients. Reducing the canopy cover between 25% – 60% will keep the desired amount of light reaching the understory for optimum forage production. All together thinning trees could lend itself to promoting herbaceous native plant species growth, leading directly to pollinator support, all-the-while, decreasing competition for water by trees.

Helpful links:

Thinning Pine Stands

Thinning Loblolly Pine Stands To Benefit Wildlife & Timber Production

Best management practices or BMPs are practices, or a combination of practices, designed to be an effective and practicable mean of preventing or reducing the amount of pollution generated by nonpoint sources. In later terms they are intended to maintain and protect the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of waters. Specifications for an individualized BMPs should include practices concerning streamside management zones (SMZ), stream crossings, forest roads, timber harvesting, reforestation/stand management, forested wetland management, and revegetation/stabilization.

Helpful links:

Alabama’s Best Management Practices for Forestry

Timber Harvesting Guidelines for Forestry Best Management Practices

• Objectives maybe defined as financial or non-financial objectives. Non-financial objectives include wildlife, aesthetics, recreation, self-satisfaction, soil stabilization, water quality and land stewardship. Objectives should also match each landowner/stakeholder’s goal, meaning that everyone’s objective maybe different.Examples of objectives:
  • Timber production
  • Recreation
  • NTFPs
  • Wildlife habitat
  • Aesthetics
  • Species diversity
  • Preservation
  • Source of income
  • Self-satisfaction
  • Tax shelter

1. Define goals and objectives.
2. Define property and inventory resources.
3. Plan management activities.
4. Implement management plan.
5. Monitor and evaluate goals and objectives.
6. Update the management plan