Abstract
Modeling Effects of Management in Restoring Natural Forest Ecosystems Track: Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Author(s): Hugh Irwin The forests of the southern Appalachians have been significantly changed through centuries of human settlement, use, and development that in many cases was abusive. A goal of conservation efforts in the region is to restore ecosystems to approximate natural conditions. This would involve the return of extirpated species, the restoration of natural forest structure, and the re-establishment of natural ecological dynamics. We can predict with some confidence what were pre-settlement conditions. A variety of management actions are now being proposed and applied in the region, many with the stated purpose of restoration. But which of these are actually contributing toward restoration of the various ecosystems in the region? A GIS model will be described and displayed that predicts the ecosystem composition, structure, and dynamics of pre-settlement forest ecosystems and compares effects of various management scenarios on these ecosystem factors. Hugh Irwin SAFC 46 Haywood Street Suite 323 Asheville , NC 28801 US Phone: 828-252-9223 E-mail: hugh@safc.org |
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