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| Parcelization and fragmentation
often occur in forests that are not
covered under any type of plan. A hiking trail is an example of
forest fragmentation, yet the impact is minimal. An example of greater
impact is a paved road, highway, subdivision or other residential or
commercial development. In all of these examples, an edge is created
and forestland is lost; this has an impact on a variety of ecological
functions and can result in: |
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increased predation on certain wildlife because of
habitat loss or conversion. |
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possible increase in disease and mortality among
species because of competition for food and shelter. |
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increased runoff and flooding. |
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structural alterations in remaining forestland. |
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increased human impacts, including an increase in
the spread of exotic species. |
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changes in climatic conditions.1
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Fire serves a vital ecological
purpose. It is when this natural phenomenon affects people that it
becomes a hazard.
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� WDNR |
Forested and wildland areas are
highly desirable places to live. What makes them attractive,
however, also makes them hazardous. While forests are an amenity for
residents, they are a source of fuel for a fire.
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Community planning that considers
forest fires can prevent damage and designate areas that are
undesirable for development because of fire hazards. See
Firewise
for details about
what you can do to manage the fire threat.3
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When
forested land is converted to agricultural or developed land, it
decreases the ability of the land area to serve its
natural functions. |
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Runoff from a conventional parking lot |
Less water
soaks into the ground thereby increasing stormwater runoff that carries
fertilizers, pesticides and other pollutants to the lakes and streams.
Forested lands produce less runoff than agricultural or developed lands
because they have the least compacted soils. |
Impact of forest conversion to residential, or agricultural use:
Phosphorus is a common nutrient present in runoff from non forested
areas. For every
pound of phosphorus added to lakes or streams, up to 500 pounds of algae
can be produced. When phosphorus levels get too high the results include
nuisance or toxic algal blooms, excessive aquatic plant growth,
decreased oxygen levels, and fish kills. |
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The adjacent
figure shows the amount of phosphorus delivered to lakes and streams
from forest, residential and agriculture based on a study of 35
watersheds in southern Wisconsin.4
Converting forested land to residential land use increases the average amount of
phosphorus delivered to lakes and streams by 5-fold. Converting forested
land to agriculture increases average phosphorus loading by 10-fold. |
The numbers on this graph are median values; the bars
above and below are the ranges of amounts of phosphorous that were found
in the study. |
| Planning can help keep
forests located along lakes and streams and on erodable soils and steep
slopes, and protect key groundwater recharge areas. |
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There are many
ecological reasons
to decide to plan. Forest planning can help your community allow for
enough forested acreage to maintain healthy air, water, and wildlife
habitat. Planning can help reduce introduction and spread of invasive
species and can also play a significant role in minimizing the risk and
impacts of wild land fires.1
Read on to learn about the social and
cultural role our forest has. |
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top |
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