Stewardship Issues Sample Clauses

Stewardship Issues. ‌ Missouri contains a tremendous variety of ecosystems and management challenges. This section of the plan will provide background information about the landscape of Ozark forests and potential issues that might affect the property now and in the future. A full stand description including habitat management recommendations is included later in the document. The management plan will be directed at ensuring forest health and recreational safety. Biodiversity‌ Biological diversity is, in part, a measure of the variety of plants and animals, the communities they form, and the ecological processes (such as water and nutrient cycling) that sustain them. With the recognition that each species has value, individually and as part of its natural community, maintaining biodiversity has become an important resource management goal. The largest threat to biodiversity in the Ozarks is the loss of habitat to development. Urban sprawl and the outward growth of the Springfield Metropolitan Area has severely limited habitat suitability for numerous wildlife species. The introduction and spread of invasive, non-native plants are also a direct threat to habitat diversity. Non-native invasives like wintercreeper, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ pear, and ▇▇▇▇ honeysuckle spread quickly, crowding out native species and dramatically altering ecosystem structure and function. Once established, invasives are difficult to control and even harder to eradicate, while limiting native plant growth. Another factor influencing biodiversity in southern Missouri is the distribution of forest growth stages. Wildlife biologists have recommended that, for optimal wildlife habitat on a landscape scale, 5-15% of the forest should be in the seedling stage (less than 1” in diameter). Yet, the Ozarks currently average no more than 2-3% of the forest in early successional stage seedling forest across the region. There is also a shortage of forest with large diameter trees (greater than 20”). These larger trees serve as “crop” trees and produce the seed for the next age class in the forest, thus the two classes are closely related. Invasive species decrease the regeneration success of the seedlings and crop tree efficiency substantially. Riparian & Wetland Areas‌ Riparian and wetland areas are transition zones between wet areas (aquatic) and dry landscapes (terrestrial). More specifically, a wetland is an area with saturated soils and a unique community of plants that are adapted to live in these wet soils. Thousands of enda...