Mapping Where the Wild Things are

We’ve had professional forestry in Ohio for more than a century, but what we don’t know about Ohio’s forest could fill volumes.

About 95 percent of Ohio’s 8 million forested acres are privately owned, and there is little information generally available about those woods. The publicly-held forests are controlled by at least half a dozen different state divisions or federal agencies, with varied management goals and data collection methods.

So, for example, a forester for the Ohio Division of Forestry, trying to develop a management plan for a woodlot, might not know what’s happening on the nearby national forest, or on wooded areas managed by the Division of Wildlife. This knowledge is important, especially when the goal is to manage for wildlife that moves freely across property lines, like bobcats, or migratory birds like the cerulean warbler.

Computer models can help determine how a forest may react to various management acitivites © TNC

To most observers, the Shawnee State Forest is a delightful and unpredictable belnd of colors. Using geological records, aerial photos, and other date organized through Geographic Information System programs, ecologists are developing moedels that help predict the future of this forest. © ODNR

“If these groups aren’t taking into consideration what others are doing, it’s possible (or even likely) that we won’t get the kind of forest we want,” said Dr. David Lytle, a conservation ecologist recently hired by the Conservancy to help develop forest conservation strategies in Ohio.

The Conservancy is working with two division of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife and Forestry – to tell the story of Ohio’s forests. As part of this partnership, and using funds from the Division of Wildlife, the Conservancy has hired Jack Henry, a recently-retired computer mapping expert from the Division of Wildlife. Using existing records, aerial photography and work in the field, Henry is developing computer models that will tell us what’s in a forest, and predict how a forest might respond to various management actions – such as a timber harvest.

“What we’re hoping for is an understanding, not only of the potential of the forest, but of what is out there, and how it can best be managed for wildlife, ecological benefits, and forest products,” he explains.

Beyond the data management, the project has led to many meetings between public forest managers in Ohio, and that’s a good sign, said Jarel Hilton, the Conservancy’s director of conservation programs for southern Ohio. “Without recognizing overlapping goals and working together, it will be very difficult to manage forest conservation efforts on a regional level.”

Learn more about how the Conservancy is protecting forests in Ohio for future generations.

                                                                                                                                                 March 2006