Performing Department
Forest Resources and Conservation
Non Technical Summary
To meet the objective of managing for long-term sustainable ecosystem services, particularly on the shrinking land base in Florida, land managers are in need of new approaches and techniques to effectively and efficiently manage natural resources for sustainable ecological, economic, and social benefits. Oftentimes, managers must rely on observational inferences and other anecdotal evidence when making major land management decisions. There is limited long-term data to verify the effects and outcomes of diverse forest management approaches and techniques for managing all the desired commodities and services the public desires from forests. In addition, there is a general lack of knowledge about closely interrelated or co-produced services, and their connection to particular management practices. It is important that carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation policies consider the largely unexamined impacts on ecosystem functions, goods and services. Understanding the long-term success of different conservation forest management approaches requires research that integrates biophysical and socioeconomic disciplines. This involves a team science approach, drawing together multi-disciplinary research and extension specialists from academic institutions, government and nongovernment organizations as well as the cooperation of stakeholders and other partners, such as private and public land managers. The coordinated efforts of these groups can help ensure the sustainability and cost effectiveness of long-term projects and enhance communication pathways among scientists and land managers. Conserved Forest Ecosystems Outreach and Research (CFEOR) is a research cooperative designed to meet the challenge of measuring the long- and short-term effects and outcomes of diverse forest management approaches and techniques. Formally initiated in 2006, CFEOR includes governmental (federal, state, and local) and non-governmental agencies, private industries, consultants, private landowners and the University of Florida. Researchers and extension specialists in cooperation with CFEOR members conduct applied research on the restoration and management of conserved forests. A CFEOR Science Committee provides technical and scientific support to the Steering Committee by participating in the review of research projects. CFEOR also serves as a clearinghouse for new information, enhancing communication among stakeholders and facilitating access to technical expertise and information. These activities result in researchers and managers having a better understanding of ecosystem responses to multiple-use management strategies and provide land managers with evidence and recommendations for appropriate forestry practices.?
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
60%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
The overall objective is to use a cooperative approach to facilitate short- and long-term integrative research and outreach projects needed to conserve and manage Florida's forests as healthy, working ecosystems that provide social, ecological and economic benefits on a sustainable basis. Specific objectives of ongoing and new research projects include: 1. Quantify the long-term (i.e., five or more years) effects and outcomes of diverse forest management approaches and techniques on forest regeneration, fire ecology, wildlife habitat and production of ecosystem goods and services, 2. Quantify the short-term (i.e., 1-5 years) effects and outcomes of diverse forest management approaches and techniques in conserved forests. Outputs include: hosting workshops, seminars and presenting research at conferences; developing practical applications from research for cooperative members; serving as a clearinghouse for new information; enhancing communication among stakeholders; and facilitating access to technical expertise and information.?
Project Methods
This section will provide brief examples of the methods used to understand multiple-use management approaches. I. Harvesting treatments range from traditional thinning methods, to staggered third-row thinning (i.e., cut trees in 50-60 m of every 3rd row, side step over to next row and cut another 50-60 m, then side step back to create a checker-board effect) and group selection methods, (0.1 to 0.8 ha gap sizes) and irregular shelterwood methods (Bohn and Sharma 2016). Short-term responses will be measured over a five-year period and used to develop growth equations specific to each silvicultural method. Silvicultural methods will be compared based on timber production, regeneration potential, structural diversity, ground cover restoration and other ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat (Bohn and Sharma 2016, Sharma et al. 2016). II. Newly developed fire models will be used to inform decision-making regarding post-fire timber harvests and prescribed burning. Fuel moisture levels will be estimated using calibration coefficients for plants in the Southern Coastal Plain (Jolly 2016). III. Wildlife habitat value for threatened and endangered species, such as the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and gopher tortoise, will be assessed using criteria set forth in the United States Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2003). IV. Recreational value and people's attitudes towards ecosystems as they relate to recreation will be assessed through a combination of on-site, mail-back and online surveys. Using a variety of descriptive and multivariate data analyses (e.g., cluster and factor analyses) researchers will integrate the social information collected through the surveys with the bio-physical data collected from the treatment plots to compare visitors' characteristics, attitudes, and perceptions with actual site attributes. V. The value of ecosystem services bundles will be assessed using consumer preference surveys with choice experiment questions, econometric modeling, and tradeoff analysis in geospatial models. Land management alternatives will be assessed using existing data on timber, wildlife, carbon, and water supply (e.g., Florida Natural Areas Inventory data), and tradeoffs between market values and ecosystem service values will be identified for Florida forest lands. Research information will be disseminated to public and private land managers through a variety of products, events and services including: workshops, seminars, presenting at conferences, producing practical applications for cooperative members. The cooperative will serve as a clearinghouse for new information, enhancing communication among stakeholders and facilitating access to technical expertise and information through our monthly newsletter and website. These efforts are evaluated on a regular basis. Evaluation forms are completed by participants at each professional education workshop to measure changes in knowledge. We conducted a web survey to measure the short- and long-term impacts (change in knowledge and actions) of land managers who have participated in our workshops, receive our newsletter and other outreach products such as our groundcover restoration handbook over the last three years. Key indicators of success include reports by participants who implemented a change land management practices that resulted in healthy, working ecosystems that provide social, ecological and/or economic benefits on a sustainable basis.?