"Junk" Forests

I was researching the effects of clear cutting on the Adirondack Park and I came across an interesting article describing the erosion of modern forests due to improper logging techniques and hunting in the past. According to Brian Mann in his article, A Million Acres of ADK Timberland Becoming "Junk"?, aggressive harvesting of certain trees as well as the removal of key species from the park has stripped forests of their diversity and lowered the overall quality of Adirondack land. Mann speaks specifically about the demand for Maple timber and the removal of the Wolf from the Adirondack Park as the catalyst behind forest degradation.

When logging was at its peak in the Adirondacks in the late 1800's/early 1900's, loose regulations and high demand led to the rapid removal of Maple trees in the Adirondacks. Loggers would take the Maple timber and leave behind other trees that were less valuable for industry. The demand for certain trees, like the Maple, was so high that logging companies would remove them before new trees could grow to replace them. The modern result, according to Mann and other Adirondack enthusiasts is that forests are now suffering from a lack of diversity, upsetting the fragile ecosystems that exist within them. What we often see in the Adirondacks today are patches of forest without essential trees like the maple and significantly reduced populations of animal and plant species because of it; Mann cites former APA chairman Ross Whaley who laments the effects of old logging practices, "All you have to do is look at the stands throughout the park and you find that poor genetic stock was left... So if you look at that history, it looks to me like we've been practicing bad forest management here." 

Another key issue in Adirondack forests is the removal of predators like the wolf because it has led to a boom in animals who feed on the seedlings of these dwindling tree species. Before their removal, wolves were essential in the Adirondacks for hunting deer and managing their population growth. Their absence has resulted in an explosion in the deer population who are an inhibiting factor to the growth of maple seedlings. Without their main predator, the deer population has shot upward while their food sources have declined sharply.

While Mann discusses these two factors as main contributors to diminishing tree diversity in the Adirondacks, he also emphasizes the effects of acid rain, invasive species and climate change. While there are many catalysts behind forest degradation, most share the unfortunate theme that they are the product of human actions. Hopefully, given our history of improper logging and forest mistreatment, we can learn from our mistakes and strive for a more sustainable future in the Adirondacks.

Mann article: http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/21445/20130214/a-million-acres-of-adk-timberland-becoming-junk