1

 
 

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

Forest Management: The

Good and the Bad
Pinelands National Reserve and Tea Kettle
Erica Muller and Conor Lynch
11/30/2010
 

 
 2  
 

Table of Contents

Title page…Page 1

Table of Contents…Page 2

Introduction…Page 3

Fire Adapted Ecosystems…Page 3

Case Study 1: Tea Kettle…Page 5

Case Study 2: New Jersey Pinelands…Page 7

Conclusion…Page 8

Works Cited…Page 10

 
 3  
 

Introduction:

According to the United States Census Bureau, the U.S. population is projected to reach
400,000,000 people by the year 2039 and nearly 440,000,000 people by 2050 (US Census Bureau). The
result of this population increase is the continued destruction and development of forested land. The
prospect is alarming, but the threat has been apparent for decades; and would be considerably worse if not
for the efforts of both conservationists and preservationists. Management plans to protect forested land
and the resources within them have been drafted and implemented since before the National Parks Act of
1872. Unfortunately, a forest management plan is not necessarily as good as the intentions which
inspired it. Without extensive research of the ecological components of a forest, and analysis of available
historical data, a forest management plan may do more to eliminate a unique habitat than protect it.

A specific example of a commonly mismanaged forest type is a forest in which fire plays a major
ecological role. Over the course of millions of years, these unique forest communities have not only
adapted to survive fire, but to promote it, and flourish in its after effects. Poorly developed forest
management plans, in some instances, have attempted to protect these forests by suppressing fire. The
following pages will discuss two case studies at opposite ends of the forest management spectrum,
specifically regarding the approaches taken for managing fire adapted ecosystems. These two case studies
are the Pinelands National Reserve of New Jersey and the Tea Kettle experiment which took place in
California.

Fire Adapted Ecosystems:

A fire adapted forest is unique in that, it promotes the continued growth and regeneration of
“early successional species.” An early successional species is one which tends to establish itself in a
previously undeveloped or disturbed land area. An early successional tree, like many from
the Pinus genus, is typically tolerant of poor, mineral soil. Its growth and decomposition changes the
complexity of the soil, and in most cases it is eventually out-competed by hardwoods, or “late
successional species.” Herein lies the uniqueness of a fire adapted ecosystem. Fire, as a natural
disturbance pattern, disrupts the
natural successional sequence.
Hardwood seedlings and other
shrubby undergrowth are fire
intolerant, and are therefore
unable to infiltrate the Pine
stand. Thus the stand remains
perpetually early successional,
and provides a unique habitat
for other biota which exist few
other places on Earth.

The picture to the left

illustrates one special
adaptation of a fire adapted
species, specifically, Pitch Pine
(Pinus rigida). Unlike most
other trees, Pitch pine
possesses dormant leaf buds
imbedded inside the its bark.
 4  
 

When a disturbance event such as fire occurs, the leaves of fire intolerant species are consumed. The
dormant buds emerge after such an occurrence, allowing it to photosynthesize, and make good use of the
new opening in the canopy created by the fire.

In some ecosystems, where fire occurs naturally at very short intervals (every 1-2 years), some
subspecies of Pitch Pine have evolved to produce serotinous cones. These cones, responsible for
producing the seeds of the future generations, are tightly sealed and do not open until they are exposed to
the extreme temperatures created by fire. Once a fire makes its way through the forest floor, killing the
shrubs and young hardwood species, the seeds are dropped to the nutrient rich soil, and are allowed to
germinate with little competition.

Fire is not only responsible for easing competition between conifers and hardwoods, but also
between conifers of the same species. Fire is a natural thinning process, and when it occurs regularly, it
acts to provide the adequate space necessary for a healthy tree. When fire is suppressed, even if
hardwood species are not present, the increased density of the conifers results in an overall unhealthy
stand. Unhealthy stands are more susceptible to diseases and insect invasion. Just one month ago, The
Press of Atlantic City printed an article which described the increased incidences of the Southern Pine
Beetle outbreaks in southern New Jersey. In a natural setting these insects, as well as others like it, also
play a role in the natural thinning process. They have special receptors for pheromones secreted by
distressed trees. Distressed trees are unable to protect themselves from attack, and are killed. In stands
where fire has been suppressed and the density of the trees is too high, every tree may be distressed, and
the population of insects such as the Southern Pine Beetle explodes. The article mentions a similar
outbreak of the Southern Pine Beetle in Colorado which caused the death of hundreds of thousands of
acres of pines.

The irony of the situation is none too subtle. The suppression of low intensity, natural fires by
poor management practices causes a great deal of stress to forests. The result of this stress is a high
mortality rate, and hundreds of thousands of acres of dead, standing trees. These "dead" forests are a far
 5  
 

larger fire hazard than they were before, leading to catastrophic crown fires which can spread to, and
destroy even the healthiest stands.

Case Study 1: Tea Kettle

This case study took place 50 miles east of Fresno, California on the western slopes of the Sierra
Nevada. It is a 3000 acre area of mixed conifer forests with species including white fir (Abies concolor),
black oak (Quercus kelloggii), sugar pine (Pinus lambertinana), incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens),
Jeffrey pine (Pinusjeffrey), and red fir (Abies magnifica). Before
deciding what plan to implement, the team studied the tree rings
and fire scars of the area to determine the history of this forest.
They found that the normal period between burns was 12 to 17
years before 1865. Not surprisingly, based on the current state of
the forest, fire was very rare after 1865, with most of the mortality
coming from diseases and beetles that stricken stressed forests.

Prior to conducting the experiment, a team of about 24

trained people observed the area for seven years to view the
processes of that particular ecosystem so that they could approach
it in the most beneficial way. In 1998, the team selected 18 plots
very methodically, with each plot being 10 acres. Each plot had an
equal portion of each of the three types of patches, which included
closed canopy, gap, and shrub. The team then selected five
different types of treatments that would be applied to the plots.
Three plots were used for each scenario. The siliviculture
applications were applied in 2000 and then 2001 until 2004.

Understory
thinning or Understory Shelterwood No
Treatment Fire
shelterwood thinning plus fire thinning plus fire treatment
thinning
After Thin the understory Shelterwood
Removal of all
adding with the addition of thinning with the
shrubs, understory
fire low fire burn to addition of low fire As a control,
trees, and ground
breaks, remove any ground burn to remove any they would
cover. Shelterwood
Description the team cover. The thinning ground cover. The leave these
leaves large trees to
would would occur first thinning would occur plots
act as biological
apply a and fire would be first and fire would untouched
legacies to provide
low fire to applied one year be applied one year
seed banks.
the plot. later. later.

After the siliviculture treatments were applied, each specialized member of the team observed and
studied what they specialized in. Throughout the following years, the team found that the thinned and
burned plots were the most successful in terms of creating a healthy forest, although they did report that
they may have to consider reapplying fires and planting pine seedlings to increase pines and decrease
cedar and fir trees. There was a significant increase in the amount of light hitting the ground, as well as an
increase in the soil moisture, which subsequently resulted in an increase in understory diversity. There
was also an increase in usable nitrogen, which is vital for the vegetation present. As far as carbon
sequestration, the plots that were only thinned released more carbon then the plots that were both thinned
 6  
 

and burned. Overall, the team found it important to vary the intensity of treatments across all the plots
because this would result in a more natural landscape that would have been created by natural
disturbances.

This was especially crucial for the species present such as

the flying squirrel or the spotted owl, which is endangered in most
of the western half of the US. The flying squirrels rely on truffles
that grow on logs and other forest cover. If they burned too much
too close to waterways, where the squirrels live, this would have
had a negative effect on their population. In California, many
management plans are built around protecting habitat for the
spotted owl, which is primarily old growth forest. This, the team
believes, is why many of the current forests in California are
overgrown and stressed because most plans fail to manage for the
entire ecosystem while still managing for the owl, which is
possible, as proven by the Tea Kettle experiment. Because the fire
was applied in the fall and the understory was removed, a cooler
fire was produced, leaving large old growth trees unharmed.

One of the largest factors leading to poor pine regeneration and unhealthy forests is the increased
amount of groundcover, which includes
fallen logs, woody debris, and a build-up of
pine needles and leaves. This thick layer
prevents any type of regeneration due to the
lack of light penetrating the ground cover, as
well as the change of the microclimate due
to the increasingly thickening canopy, which
is termed mesophication. This is why the
mixture of thinning and burning is the best
way to produce healthy forests. Another
important factor contributing to keeping the
mixed conifer forest as diverse as it once
was is the soil moisture. Historically, the soil
is very moist but due to the lack of
disturbance regimes the increased amount of
trees are extracting too much water from the
soil, resulting in dry soils, which cannot support future regeneration.

The Tea Kettle experiment was conducted to show what type of silvicutural practices should be
applied when trying to manage a forest. Across America, mesophication is occurring at large rates
because there is either no management taking place or it is being done incorrectly. Because these forests
are overgrown and stressed, we are seeing a major decrease in biodiversity of both plants and animals.
Also, many wild fires that occur happen on a very large scale due to the build-up of fuels. Most of the tree
mortality is now being caused by diseases and insects that attack stressed trees. The Tea Kettle team
hopes to give insight to foresters to bring our forests back to a healthy state. Some lessons that should be
learned from this case is that any type of silivicultural practice should not applied homogeneously across
a forest. It should differ depending on the type of trees present and should maintain an ecosystem with all
the right elements to regenerate naturally with the changing climate. (North, Tea Kettle DVD)
 7  
 

Case Study 2: New Jersey Pinelands

Under the National Parks and Recreation Act of

1978, over 300,000 acres of New Jersey forested land was
designated as the United States’ first National Reserve.
This land, known as the Pinelands National Reserve
(PNR), has expanded to 1.1million acres and represents
22% of New Jersey. In 1979, The Pinelands Commission
was created and charged with the task of protecting the
PNR. The Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan
was approved in 1981 by Governor Byrne, and outlines
the management practices accepted by the Pinelands
Commission (Stokes 1-3).

The PNR is recognized internationally by the

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) as a globally unique
ecosystem. It is home to over 43 threatened or
endangered animal species. Below the PNR lies the
Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, which contains over 17
trillion gallons of water, “enough water to cover all of
New Jersey 10 feet deep, and equal to nearly half the
water consumed each year in the U.S.” (Stokes 1-3). For
these reasons, it is imperative to protect, not only the land
itself, but also the natural processes which have created
this unique ecosystem.

According to the New Jersey Pinelands Commission,

the purpose of the Comprehensive Management Plan is, “to promote orderly development of the
Pinelands so as to preserve and protect the significant and unique natural, ecological, agricultural,
archaeological, historical, scenic, cultural, and recreational resources of the Pinelands.” But the portion
of the 266 page report dedicated to forest management is much more of a catalog of the components of
the Pinelands, rather than a comprehensive plan. This type of management is referred to as “structure
based management.” Any details of the ecological processes of the Pinelands have been omitted by the
writers. Instead, the writers have gone to great length to list the specific species, and the percentage of
land they cover, for each forest type within the Pinelands.

Unfortunately, knowing the composition of a forest is not the same as knowing the processes
which created it. And while the overall goal of the Pinelands Commission and the Comprehensive
Management Plan is to protect the Pinelands as a unique ecosystem, there is nothing in the literature
which details just how to achieve that goal. Perhaps this sentiment is best summarized by the paragraph
which precedes nearly every subtopic of the Management Plan. “It is not necessary that the municipal
program incorporate the literal terms of the program set out in this Part; rather, a municipality may adopt
alternative and additional techniques which will achieve equivalent protection of forest resources as
would be achieved under the provisions of this Part” ("Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan"
161). This disclaimer essentially leaves the development of an actual management plan up to the
municipalities, and suggests that any management plan is acceptable that produces a result similar to what
has been previously described. Nowhere in the description of the Pinelands vegetation does it offer any
insight on how to achieve these results through the use of fire, or discuss any other ecological process.
 8  
 

The portion of the Comprehensive Management Plan entitled “Fire Management,” and is
introduced as follows, “Forest vegetation represents a significant wildfire threat to structures developed
within the Pinelands. Therefore all development in the Pinelands shall conform to the requirements of this
Part in order to protect life and property from catastrophic forest fires and to ensure the maintenance of
the Pinelands forest ecosystems.” While this section of the Management Plan acknowledges the presence
of fire in the Pinelands ecosystem, it does not offer any information on why the vegetation in the
Pinelands represents such a significant wildfire threat. Fire adapted ecosystems have been a major area of
study for the past several decades, and the important role fire plays within such ecosystems has become
widely accepted. However, the "Fire Management portion of the Comprehensive Plan is entirely
concerned with the protection of property from fire.

*The Fire Hazard Classification chart

Conclusion

Both the Pinelands National Reserve and Tea Kettle share one thing; a century of fire suppression
due to the miseducation of those in charge of managing forests. Thanks to the forward thinking of those
who took the initiative to propose the Tea Kettle study, there is now an example to follow to return fire to
a fire suppressed ecosystem. The Tea Kettle Team warns those who wish to learn from their example,
that there is no one correct way to properly manage a forest. These forests exist as they do today because
of the variation inherent to all natural systems. This is why the Tea Kettle study needed to be so
extensive, with two dozen researchers working for seven years, eventually developing five silvicultural
techniques spread over 18 plots. Given more resources, the researchers would surely have expanded their
studies even further. The project as a whole epitomizes the meaning of "process based restoration."
Process based restoration looks at the ecosystem as a whole and manages for each part of it, from the
plant and animal species present to the nitrogen in the soils. Because process based restoration applies
disturbance regimes variably, it allows all parts of the forest to develop in a natural way that can recover
from any type of natural disturbances such as fire.

The Pinelands National Reserve is stuck inside a positive feedback loop caused by poor forest
management. Years of fire suppression have created such a build up of fuel on the forest floor, and
placed such stress on the trees, that returning fire to this ecosystem would require incredible amounts of
money to prepare the million plus acres for prescribed burning. The task is indeed overwhelming. And
the forests are in such a flammable state, that restrictions on burning are becoming stronger. There must
be a solution to save the forests from one large catastrophic fire, but that solution can not be found within
the Pinelands Commission's Comprehensive Management Plan.

To be fair, the Pinelands face a slightly different situation than Tea Kettle in respect to its
proximity to human development. Tea Kettle's location was chosen because it could be burned without a
 9  
 

serious risk of harming people or property. The development within the Pinelands shifts the priority of
the governing municipalities from maintenance of healthy forests, to the safety of human life. The
difficulty of the task at hand does not lessen its desperate need for a solution. An effort must be made to
fund research within the Pinelands similar to that done in Tea Kettle. The cost should be viewed as an
investment, which may end up saving a lot of money in the long run, as being proactive usually does.
When considering what it may cost to suddenly have to put out a fire covering 20 percent of New Jersey
in ten years, imagine what good use that money could be put towards now.
 10  
 

Works Cited

State of New Jersey. "Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan." Pinelands

Commission. State of New Jersey, Oct. 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. </
http://www.state.nj.us/pinelands/cmp/CMP.pdf>.

Stokes, John. "Pinelands Facts." Pinelands Commission. State of New Jersey,

2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://www.state.nj.us/pinelands/infor/fact/
pinelands%>.

The Tea Kettle Experiment. Dir. Malcolm North. Mixit Productions. Film.

United States Census Bureau. "Census 2010." U.S Census Bureau. U.S Department of
Commerce, 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. <http://www.census.gov/>.