Got wood?

[MossRoad]

I don't think that you can generalize that way. Just because a forest is managed doesn't mean that it isn't healthy. Also, no matter how heathy the ecosystem is you can't expect to see every species there; the wildlife which benefits most from us are pioneer species just like we are. Supposedly 90% of Maine was cleared 150 years ago. I find tht hard to believe, yet as others have indicated I've been in some pretty remote places and found old bits of barbed wire, and evidence of old hunting or logging camps. I once found a big piece of coal in what seemed like the strangest place; yet looking at old topo maps there once was a road there. There used to be a machine called a Lombard log hauler which had a steam engine powered by coal.
I've been in places which are as close to virgin forest as you can expect to see on this coast. It was mainly devoid of wildlife, because not enough light gets to the ground for much of anything to grow. That's the type of terrain which animals like caribou prefer... except that the caribou are long gone.

Last year I had a road opened up into an area which was last cut in 1993. It looked like a great place to hunt deer... the only thing missing was the wildlife. We cut it early enough so that the hardwood started sprouting last fall. The first time that I went in there this spring I found that the deer had already found it. Again, another pioneer species...

You can say the same things about a corn field.

 

[Jstpssng]

You can say the same things about a corn field.

A cornfield is an intensely managed monoculture. Managing a forest can be as simple as cutting sustainably, thinning as needed and cutting the mature and/or unhealthy trees. When was the last time that you saw a bear's den in a farmer's field?

 

[MossRoad]

A cornfield is an intensely managed monoculture. Managing a forest can be as simple as cutting sustainably, thinning as needed and cutting the mature and/or unhealthy trees. When was the last time that you saw a bear's den in a farmer's field?

Ever wondered how a bear makes a den in a cornfield? Warren reader shares photos of just such a 'nest' | Grand Forks Herald

 

[MossRoad]

Iowa farmer harvesting corn makes odd discovery—a black bear - Men's Journal

 

[MossRoad]

Trapped Bear

 

[MossRoad]

:laughing:

 

[Jstpssng]

Now how about addressing the monoculture part of my comment.

 

[goeduck]

I try to remove non native species and encourage/plant native species. Yesterday I discovered someone encroached by about 75 feet over a remote property line on a vacant parcel of mine to make a picnic area near the creek that is on my property. He is about 150 feet into the wetland buffer which starts on his property. I am having it surveyed, marked and will plant native Western Red Cedars there (they tolerate wet roots). The guy is a local prominent doctor, I doubt he will want publicity on this so I am hoping for a good outcome.

 

[MossRoad]

Now how about addressing the monoculture part of my comment.

Oh I agree with you, I'm just poking some fun about the bear. Managing a forest for yourself is anything you want it to be. You can remove invasive species. Remove mature trees for timber, firewood, or just to open areas up for smaller species to be able to mature. Or you can do nothing and let nature take it's course. It's all up the owner.

We have a 4 acre field that we planted with alternating rows of pines and mixed hardwoods back around 1990. There's only 1 species of pine. There's 8 species of oak, tulip poplar, cherry, walnut and a few more that I forget. At first glance, one would think it's a monoculture due to the pines and pine needles. However, once you start looking around, you notice the other species. There's turkeys, deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc... It was suggested when we had it planted to plant many different species as a hedge against diseases and pests, and avoid a monoculture.

Then there's a 6 acre patch that was corn field when we bought it. We let that go to see what happens. The back half of it immediately went to black cherry and very few other species seem to grow under it. The front half went to oaks. All of that on it's own without intervention.

We have another strip that's 10 acre of mixed forest. That's the healthiest section. The forester estimated 20,000 trees. That's 1,000 trees per acre. Several dozen species. Large to small. I cannot physically walk through most of it except for the deer paths or where I push through with the brush cutter.

 

[/pine]

Speaking of bears...We had a nuisance bear here last week (not a large mast crop locally this year)...besides tearing up bird feeders and BBQ grills etc...it was carrying stuff off including a gallon jug of Clorox (chewed several holes in the jug) as well as a spray bottle of Fantastic cleanser...among other things...

If I remember I will post some pics of the bleach jug tomorrow in the wildlife thread...