2: Maintenance of productive capacity of forest ecosystems

Many communities depend on forests directly or indirectly for a wide range of forest based goods and services. The sustainable provision of these services is clearly linked to the productive capacity of the forest. If this capacity is exceeded there is the risk of ecosystem decline  and collapse. For forests to be sustainable it is necessary to understand the levels at which goods and services may be extracted or used without undermining the functioning of forest ecosystems and processes. The nature of goods and services provided by forests change over time due to social and economic trends, and technological developments. Change in the productive capacity of forests may be a signal of unsound forest management practices or other agents that are affecting forest ecosystems in some way.

Associated Indicators

Recent Population Trends

Evaluates recent changes in population and the corresponding changes in potential intensity of human use and impacts on local and regional biosphere. Population can be a measure of the level of intensity of land use and human impacts on the local and regional landscapes. Residents have a set of well-defined daily needs, and obtaining these needs affects the locale in ways such as number of vehicle miles driven, road network needed, extent of housing and commercial development, utilities development (water storage and delivery, electrical grid, etc.). Changes in this indicator show where to expect increases (or in some cases decreases) in human impacts, due to the need for more infrastructure with increased numbers of people.

Timberland within feasible hauling distance from a mill

Feasibility of forest management is affected in part by the proximity of a market for harvested timber. This will be a mapped product that shows where current lumber mills are relative to the resource base. Distance from mills is considered to be one of the most important factors affecting the cost of harvesting and stumpage returns to the landowner.

Treatments of forest pest- and disease- related trees (Area)

Report on and quantify recent efforts to combat the spread of forest health related insects and disease. This shows trends in the activity level of programs and agencies to address forest health issues. Area of affected forests treated by targeted purpose (stop spread of insect infestation, stop spread of non-insect related of diseases)