Applying Ecosystem Services to Collaborative Forest Management Elk River Public Meeting Nikola Smith Ecologist and Ecosystem Services Specialist U.S. Forest Service Port Orford City Hall February 2, 2017
What are ecosystem services? How have we applied this idea to planning?
Why are forests important?
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 60% of the world s environmental services are being degraded faster than they can recover
Ecosystem Services The benefits people obtain from ecosystems PROVISIONING REGULATING Water (quantity) Fuelwood Energy and Minerals Food and Medicines Fiber Forage Timber Range Fish and Wildlife Carbon sequestration Climate regulation Soil stabilization Watershed services (water quality and flood control) CULTURAL Aesthetic values Educational values Spiritual values Cultural heritage Recreation Public health SUPPORTING Soil formation Seed dispersal Pollination Nutrient cycling Strengthening multiple use to tell a more complete story
Our Story
Using ecosystem services to frame forest management is like going from black and white to color ~ John Allen, Forest Supervisor, Deschutes National Forest
The way we think changes how we behave. Thinking about landscapes as integrated systems.
Describing Outcomes in addition to reporting Outputs Acres treated Miles restored Number of visits Board feet sold Healthy watersheds Resilient, functioning ecosystems Benefits for communities
Recreation Cultural Resources Fuels Treatment Ecological, Social and Economic Outcomes Habitat Restoration Forest Products Watershed Restoration
Starting with the Land From Kandziora et al. (2013), after Haines-Young and Potschin (2010a); Haines-Young and Potschin, (2010b); de Groot et al. (2010b) and Müller and Burkhard (2010)
Ecosystem Services Benefits Values Understanding Human Dependence on Natural Systems Ecological Integrity Ecosystem Function Ecosystem Properties Biophysical structure or process Adapted from Kandziora et al. (2013), after Haines-Young and Potschin (2010); Haines-Young and Potschin, (2010); de Groot et al. (2010) and Müller and Burkhard (2010)
How Do We Make This Real? National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Promote harmony between people and the environment PROPOSED ACTION Adaptive Management PROPOSAL Monitor and Evaluate Implementation DECISION image courtesy of Don Boucher
Information exchange about public values and forest conditions
What is this landscape about? foundational processes Geology and Landforms Hydrology and Fisheries How do functions and processes extend beyond our boundary? What and where are challenges and stressors on the system? Vegetation and Habitats Fire Regimes
Impacts of Natural and Human Disturbance on Landscape Patterns Vegetation type and composition of successional stages Habitat connectivity
Case Studies Deschutes, Willamette and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests
From Theory to Practice: The Marsh Project Crescent Ranger District, Deschutes National Forest
Internal and External Workshops: Collaborative Identification of Priority Ecosystem Services Identify Values & Benefits Describe Attributes & Components Define Current Condition Potential Management Actions Pos/Neg Effects and Trade-offs integrated systems approach
Shasta Agness Planning Area ~ Gold Beach Ranger District Slide courtesy of Frank Burris, OSU Extension
Biodiversity Water Quality Pollination Timber Recreation Cultural Resources
Landforms Available Water Storage Joni Brazier, Soil Scientist, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Potential Vegetation Types Unique and Fire-Dependent Plant Assemblages Clint Emerson, Botanist Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Pollinators and the ecosystem services they provide are critical to life as we know it.
Integrated Approaches to Management: Relationships Between Diverse Program Areas and Ecosystem Services Objectives Ecology Recreation Botany Pollinators Veg Mgt. Engineering Wildlife
Integrated Approaches to Management: Relationships Between Pollinators and Other Ecosystem Service Objectives Forest Products Habitat Food Pollinators Resilience Recreation Cultural Resources
ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AREAS Specifically designed for testing alternative approaches to more effectively achieve desired ecological, social and economic objectives
APPLEGATE AMA PLANNING GOALS o o o all-lands approach to address resilience to disturbance and climate change collaboratively develop projects build on connections between ecological conditions and a sustainable flow of goods and services
every piece of land has its own signature and function Karen Bennett, Retired Regional Soil Scientist, USFS Pacific Northwest Region making connections between values and ecological context
Driving Values Oak woodlands Pine-dominated systems At-risk endangered species habitat Old-growth (present and next generation ) Timber infrastructure Communities at risk due to fire
Nature s Benefits Clean water Pollinators and their habitats Biodiversity Sustainable supplies of wood products History and heritage
Geology, Landforms and Soils Vegetation and Disturbance Stream Conditions
Clean Water Geology, Landforms and Soils Where do topography and soil types suggest that erosion is or could be a concern? Where is water storage limited and rapid runoff possible during precipitation events? Where are roads intercepting groundwater storage and causing overland flow?
Clean Water Vegetation and Disturbance Which vegetation types are more / less resilient to fire, drought, insects & disease? Which of these areas correspond with highly erosive soils? Where might management be needed to enhance resilience or sustain water storage and filtration?
Clean Water Stream Conditions Proximity of streams to roads Riparian vegetation water filtration Vicinity to instream mining sedimentation and lower summer flow
Biodiversity Special Habitats Recreation Scenic Values Cultural Values User Impacts Disturbance Iron Mountain Botanical Area
Balancing Several Ecosystem Services in a Single Program Area Recreation Human Health Scenic Values Marbled Murrelet Habitat Fisheries
Ecosystem Services Topic Area Highlights the relevance of climate change to people and communities Cultural and heritage values Carbon sequestration Natural hazard mitigation Forest products Pollination Air quality
Keeping the Big Picture in Mind Resilience and Diversity Ecological Integrity Processes and Functions
Biodiversity Conservation, May 2016 USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Jabiol et al., 2013
Co-Benefits of Riparian Restoration Shade and temperature reductions Water quality improvements Regulation of water flow Erosion prevention Food source for aquatic organisms Large wood recruitment Aesthetic values.. It depends on where we are and what we are trying to achieve
Multiple Drivers for Floodplain Restoration Floodplains are among the most endangered and ecologically significant lands in the United States
Critical Benefits Provided by Floodplains Water purification Flow regulation / flood prevention Water and sediment storage Carbon sequestration Air quality improvements Habitat connectivity Recreation Soil formation Nutrient cycling
A New Approach: Multi-Credit Watershed Markets MAKING MARKETS WORK FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES AND FUNCTIONAL ECOSYSTEMS
Diverse Landscapes Integrated Approaches
Questions and Discussion Nikola Smith Ecologist and Ecosystem Services Specialist Pacific Northwest Region National Forest System / State and Private Forestry / PNW Research Station 503-808-2270, nmsmith@fs.fed.us