f~OREST ECOLOGY AND ~IETTLER~S WOODS
SAl\tt.:Er. T. DA~.-l, Denrt Erneritus · School of .Nalttral Resol1rce:, Univer~ity of l\1icl1igan
~.. ron1 tli.e !'-;ta11d1)oint of the forester, l\'lettler's Woods, 110,v the William L. Hutc11eso11 l\,femorial 1'.. orest, is uniquely ,,aluable as the best re1nai11i,1g example of old-gro,vtl1 oak fore5t 011 the Atla1.1tic seaboard. Tl1is quality gi,·es it di~tir1ction not only as a museum piece b11t eve11 more as an ot1t door researcl1 laboratory in ,,·l1ich Nature's 1)1·oces!;eS can he stt1died urider cor1ditions ''°l1ere man's interference is reduced to a mi11imun1. S0111e co11- sideration of the scope a11d aims of forestry ,~ill l1elp to clarify botl1 its pote11tialities and its limitatio11s for this purpose. Definitions of forestry are 11un1erous and not al,vays co11siste11t. l\Ian~· la}·me11 ide11tif}· it with fire fighti11g or tree pla11ting. To son1e f 01·esters it is the gro,-.·i11g a11d harvesting of trees for sa,vlogs or pul1)\\'0od or oll1cr con1n1ercial products. I like to thi11k of it as tl1e scie11ce, the art, and tl1e business of n1a11ag i11g fore~ls for tl1e co11tinuous productio11 of goods a11d services. Several co11ce1Jts are packed i11to tl1at brief ~e11te11ce, ,,-l1ich covers a lot of gro1111d. Perl1aps t11e Yer)· fact that f orestr)· has so mar1y facets is 011e of tl1e reasor1s ,.,..l1y there i~ so rnucl1 1nis1111derstat1ding co11cernit1g it.. 111 deali11g '"itl1 so broad a field ,re all le11d to see it from the angle of our o,\.·11 J)erso11al co11• tact \\' i tl1 it. 1"o begin ,vitl1, there is 110 ge11eral agreen1e11l as to ,v hat constitut(~S a ~'forest~! he)·ond the fact tl1at it is a con1n1u11ity in wl1icl1 trees are t\1e domi11a11t Yegetation. Some i11clt1dc i11 the co1l'JJnu11ity 011ly trees and other. ,,·oody ,·egetatioi1, others inc\t1d(.~ all })la11t$~ a11d still otl1e1·s both pla11ts a11d a11imal~. To n1e, it is 111ore realistic to regard a forest as an e.coS}'Slem'. ,,·l1icl1 int\\tdes not only trees, other plants~ a11d a11imals, but aJsl) tlte soil 011 ,v11icl1 a11d in ,vl1icl1 tl1c}· gro,\·. It is a particular kind of la11d area. Vie,red i1i tl1is light, tl1c forest produces a ,\·ide variety of goods and · service~. An1or1g these are wood a11d its in11urnerahle derivatives; otl1er tree })roc111ets ~url1 as naval ~tores~ n1aple syrup~ and rubber; decorative ma terials st1cl1 as (:hristmas trees~ ferns, clu}J n1osses, and ,vild flo,..,ers; forage for domestic livestock and game anin1als; wildlife of all ki11ds; modificatio11 l)f tl1e local climate a11d tl1e microclimate; regu1atio11 of the amourtt and distrib11tion of ,,·ater runoff, ,,·itl1 resulti11g influence on soil erosio11 and ~trea1nfiow; 01,portu11it~· for ma11)· fo:rms of outdoor recrea tioi1; aestl1etic enjoymc11t; and spiritual ins1)itation. 1'.. orestr~· is J)rOJlerly cor1cer11ed ,\·ith the prodt1ctior1 of a11y or all of these goods a11d services-on a co11ti1111i11g basis. Naturally tl1eir relative i1nporta11ce ,·aries greatly witl1 time a11d })lace. Ra,..,. n1aterials for i11dus- · tr)-! sucl1 as $a,,·logs and JlUlJl\\·ood~ l1a,'e al,\·a~-~ co11$titt1ted tl1e n1ajor J)roclnct cJf tl1e forest in tern1s of direct t111ancial ret11r11s. Tl1is fact, togetl1er ,,·itl1 tl1e fact tl1at ,ve all use lu111her and paper i11 one form or anotl1er, l1as led to t.l1e com1no11 co11ceptio11 that t}1e 1>rodt1ction of ta11gible goods is
36 the sole responsibility of the fore~ter. Actual}}· the i11tangible services relating to soil, ,vater, recreatio11, a11d ir1spi rittio11, ,vhich it i~ cli tlicu lt to express in mo11etary terms, are extren1el1· valuable a11d are tl1orot1ghly deserving of both professional and por1t1lar atter1tion. A friend of mir1e is fond of sayi11g that ,ve coulcl get along reasonably ,vel l \\'itl1out ,fc,ocl httt not '"itbout forests a some1~hat exaggerated but effecti,:e ,,·a~· of en1pl1a• sizing the fact that there are substitutes for ,vood but not for forest i11• fluences. Forest management that aims to J)rodttce se\·eral goods a11d services from the same area is commonly kno,,·n as multiple-use, or 1)1t1\ti-1>urpose, forestry. A national forest, for example~ 1nay simultaneot1:;l:v prodt1ce ,vood, foyage, ,vater, ,vildlife, mineral5-~ a11d recreation, and 111a}· help to clieck ero5ion and floods. Actually tl1ere are ·rery f e,\1 ~orest~ that do not, intentionally or other,vise, serve 111ore than one purpose~ ,,·bate,·er the primary objective of the o,"ner. '\\rel l-ma11aged private f ore:-ts~ for ex ample, generally aim to produce co11ti11l1ous supplies of ,,·oo
37 ·ri1 e e 11gi 11ee ri 1,g ~cie11ces are a 11<)tl1er fie Id j 11 ,rh i cl1 the J) ra cti ci i1g forester 111tist l1a\'e some com11ete11ce. ProJ)erL}- hou11darjcs 111t1::;t l)e e~tal>- 1i~l1ed~ tOJ>ogra J)l1 ic 111a J>S n111st 1)e n1ade~ Jlerma11e11t j m J) r<>,'en1e11 ts 1>1 u:-;t. be cor1structed~ aerial J)l1otogra 11l1s rn1,gt J)e i11terJ)rete
38 ogy a11d mathematics at1d e11gineering and ecoriomics. lf 011e thinks 011ly of timb~r production~ it is e11tirel}· llfOJ>er to regard ecology as or1e of the mai11 fou11datio11s for silviculture~ ,rhich is the art of re1)roduci11g a11d tending the timber crop. B11t sil,.-ic11lt11re is only one of the fi"·e fields i1l ,vhich the Society of •.i\mericat1 F ore~ters belie,..·es a forester 1nL1st ha,·e adeq11ate tt>ch11ical trai 11 i11g to hf' recog11ized as J>rof t.•~:;io11a l l y co111 J)ete11t. 'fl1e other fields are f ort'sl Jlrotectio11, forest n1a1lagen1e11t, forest utiJ iza tion~ a11d forest economic~, ,\·hich ob,·iously go far beyonc.--1 the bo1111ds <)f ecology. Tl1at the Hutcheson J:'orest mai11tai11ed as a r1at11ral area can co11• tribute substa11tially to our k110,vledge only in the silvicultural field i11 110 ,vay minimizes its ,·al11e from the ,·ie,vpoir1t of the forester. Tl1is is tr11e i.11 Sflite of tl1e fact that a forester·s acti,,ities are so ofter1 concerned ,vitl1 moclifyir1g natt1ral cor1ditio11s. :\!other I\ature if left to herself seldom produces maximt1m forest crops a11)· more than sl1e J.lrod11ces n1aximt11n agricultural crops. It is rather c11rious, ,,·hen ,ve are all so familiar ,,·itl1 tlie drastic ,...-a).- in '"·}1ich farming i11terf eres wit}1 natttral processes. that ,..-e sho11ld not recog11ize the desirabilit}· of si1nilar interference i11 the mar1agement of forest la11ds. No one recommer,cls maintai11i11g tl1e '~}Jal ance of nature'' in the J)ro
39 l1a,,e bee11 cut to reduce tra11spiration a11d tl1e i11lerceptio11 of preci1)ita. tio11. These openi11gs result i11 tl1e maxin1111n accumulation of s110,v, fro1n · \\"l1ich the bulk of tl1e runoff is derived. Tl1ese examples of the ,•alue to man of transitio11al seral stages do 110.t. of course imply tl1at he is never i11terested i11 tl1c c1imax forest com•munity. Norther11 hard,oV"oods in the Nortl1eastern and Lake States, ponderosa pine on dr}· sites throughout much of the West, and redwood in Califor11ia are iJlustrations of climax forest types tl1at the forest manager usually ,,·ishes to perpetuate. The important point is that '"'hene,·er man ir1tcr• feres ,vith natural processes, as by ]oggi11g or hu11ting, he n1ust kno,\' ,,,J1at results he seeks and ho,v they can best be acl1ieved. Among other thi11gs, this requires eco1ogical knowledge of a l1igh order an.d skill i11 its application, particularly \\ihen the ol)jective is to n1aintain a tetnJlOf· ary stage in the 11ormal ~ucce.ssio11. Ho,v can natural areas help to SUlJllly tl1e rteeded kno,,·ledge ,-vhet\ by defi11i'tion the)· are to be reserved frorn co1111nercial utilizatio11? ·1•11e a11s,.,·er is that i11 order to modify 11atural 11rocesses successfulJy ,ve 1nust first kno,v ,\That tl1ose Jlroces~es are. I11cide11tally it may }Je ,•;ell to 11oi11t out tl1at the Hutcl1eso11 Forest is 11ot 100 per ce11.t natural~ since the cle;:1r• i11g a,\·ay of the surrot111di11g forests, i-eJ)eated n1an-caused fires, and tI1c Jogging of ,vindfalls after tl1c 1950 l1urricane l1ave n1odified 11att1ral co11• ditio11s i11 the tr11ct. Furtl1ermore, from no,v 011, sufficient manage111e11t \vill pre~un1ably he practiced to prevent serious damage to the forest l)y fire, insects, or disease. Co1npared ,'\'ith other areas i11 tile region, }1ow e,,er, tl1e tract re1)resents, and 1.111der the direction 0£ Rutgers University \\'ill co11tinue to reJ)rese11t, the closest aJJproacl1 to natural conditio11s \Vhicl1 it is feasible to attai11. Herein lies its greatest value. In an u11dist11rbed forest one ca11 ol)tai11 mucl1 i11f or111ation 11ot avail· al)le else,~here c-01)cer1ling the normal i11terrelations that exist betlvcer1 trees, sl1rul)s: l1erl)s, fungi, i11sects, birds, man11nals, eartl1\\'orn1s, nen1a todes, soil, alld climate. Only in an undisturbed forest can 011e determi11e v.·hetl1er tl1e prese11t sta11d of oak anll hickor)· is really a climax comm1111ity or ,vl1etl1er it ,vill i11 time be replaced by a stand ir1 ,,..,}1jch n1aple and beecl1 are predominant. \-et sucl1 infor1nation is indispe11sallle for tl1e forest ma11- ager, particularly if })is objective is, so to speak, to ''buck'' Nature. 1ian can11ot co11quer Nature in Ll1e se11se tl1at he e,•er changes natural la,-.s. He ca11~ l10We\·er, a1ter materially and st1ccessf ul ly tl1e 11atural co11rse of events if l1e k110\,·s ,,,hat those laws are and governs his activities in accord ance ,-;ith tl1en1. Tl1e need· for ,,·isdo1n in the ma11ageme11t of forest Ia rids is emJJlta• sized h)' tl1e 1011g life of tl1e trees ,vhicl1 are the domina11t ele1ne11t i11 tl1e · co1nmu11it}'·. Dea11 (;, S. Al le11 of the F'act1lty of :i:·ore~tr)· at tlie Universit)· ,Jf Briti~l1 Co111mbia rec-e11tly expressed as follo"·s tJ1t' solJeri11g rei-J)Or1~i JJi)ity '"J1icl1 tl1e forester mu~t face: '~\\7}1at ,,·e do tc1day a,1d tomorro,,' \\:ill affect generatio11s to come fa,,orably or 11nfavorably. We do not kno,\' e11ough )·et to ,vork in com1>lete harn1ort)· with Nature, and so l,·e ,\ 40 ingly conservative in the biological sense and follo,\i Nature as closely as \-.·e can''. (Allen, 1955). Dean Allen ,vas speaking specifically of silviculture, or tin1ber pro• clt1ction. but thoro11gh kno,vle(lge of 11att1ral processes i.s also 11.eccs~ary to obtain optiml11n retur11s in otl1er fields such as ,vatersl1ed manage1ne11t and recreation. Generally speaking~ the more ""·e kt10,v the more liberties '\\ie can take in modifying the environment to n1eet .1nan's needs. l\tluch can he learned from controlled experiments in disturbed areas, ,vhich ,vill of course continue to be '\fidely used for research purposes. T}1ey are, however, not a substitute for undisturbed areas, ,,·here studies of natural processes ,viii help us to direct our managerial activities along sound lines. Tl1at foresters recognize these trutl1s is sho,vn by the fact that for many years the Society of American Foresters has had a Committee on .Natural Areas, and that that con1mittee partici1)ated active])· in the cam• ·. paign to preserve these ,voods from tlestruction. How does forest ecology differ from a11y other kind of ecology? If, as I stated earlier, the forest is the entire ecosystem, then forest ecology· is all-inclusive i11 its st1.1dy of er1vironmental rela.tions. Tl1ere is no aspect of the inter-relations between tl1e pla11ts and animals in tl1e fo1·est ai1d · the e11vironment i11 '\\lhich tl1ey live, ,\"ith ,vhich it is not concerned. Con1i11g from a forester, this statement ma)• so11nd immodest, l)ut I belie,'e tl1at it is realistic. No one ,vould den}• that in ecology as in ot}1er l,ra11cl1es of biolc>gy ,ve need specialists. The other speakers today ha,,e de1nonstrated u11111is takahly the services that can be re11(Jered lJy plant ecologists a11d anin1al ecologists and soil ecologists. Some of tl1ese men ,,·ill do11l)tless ,rork i11 still n1ore specialized fields such as n1oss ccolog}· a11d i11sect ecolog}· a11d mammal ecology. In these days ,,·hen ,ve are ex1>anding tl1e bot111daries of knowledge so far that it is necessar}· for most scie11tists to k11 41 as1>ects of the 11\ler-relatior,s l>e\\,·een tl1c trees-, other 1)la11ls, a11in1al~, u.t1d e11vironn1c11t that co1nJlrise the e.coS)'~te1n. It is cl1aracterized both l,y its broad sco1le and hy tl1e utilitaria11 cha1·a~ter of its \1ltimate ol)j(~eti\"e . •.i\.ltl1ougl1 recognizi11g the ir1dis1)er1i:;al)ility of basic researc}1, it is c1Jm n1011ly less il1tereE--ted in k110\,·ledge as at1 e11d i1, itself tl1a1, as a n1e.a11s to an e11d •. That e11d is the co11tir1uou.s J)roductio11 a11d use of goods a11d ~erv ices, an1ong ,,·l1icl1 \\"ood a11d fore~t i11ilue11ces ,,·ill doul)tless coriti1,\1e t I co11gratulate Rutgers U11i,·ersity on tl1e acqui~itio11 (Jf so u11ique a11cl so ,·aluable a J)rOJlert)'· I·~orestcrs ,vill f ollo,v ,,·itl1 keenest i11lert~:-;t tl1e research that Vfil I he co11dtiCtt'd tl1ere a11d ,,·il I take adva11tage 1r1 tl1eir o,-v11 acti,·ities of tl1e results ohtai11ed. J~l T ER:\TURE CITl-:tl Allet1, G. S. 1955. Estal)li~l1ing tl1~ 1:rO}l. 1'"'or~~1.r"y Cllrorricle 31 :31-34-. 4.2