FIELD NOTES: Forest Stewards ~by Jim Eagleman
HEE field supervisor Jeff Riegel and student assembling a moth trap.
T
hese forested hills of ours are quite the attraction. Year ’round, visitors come to Brown County to enjoy their time in a variety of ways. The ever-present woodland views take center stage. The forest—its colors, vastness and its wildlife—is part of what is known as the Central Hardwoods Region. Are you a forest steward? The forests of the eastern US face many challenges. Forest management, specific to Brown County, is handled by private land and camp owners, state and federal land managers, and land trust organizations. These individuals are periodically brought together by the Nature Conservancy’s Brown County Hills (BCH) project manager, Dan Shaver, to discuss issues important to their land: forest diseases, invasive species, management options, research, etc. Sustainable forest management, while maintaining a contiguous forest for conservation purposes, is the main BCH goal. Land parcels
48 Our Brown County • March/April 2020
are represented in seven southern Indiana counties and comprise more than 350,000 acres. Of course, the BCH is also a place we residents call home. We live and work here, play host to our visitors, create, and rest. It’s fair to say this place, our forest, is a magnet to both wildlife and humans. The professional forester has a responsibility to help others understand forest management. They possess an innovative set of management options for the maintenance of healthy forest ecosystems. Some options raise public objections when applied to public lands, for example, types of timber harvest and prescribed fire. The effects on forests and their native inhabitants are often poorly understood. Since the forest is home to many kinds of birds and animals, forest managers must take their needs and requirements into account. As populations for some forest organisms decline, restrictions to landowners may increase because species become classified as endangered or threatened. An example is the Indiana Bat. Increasing populations of other species like whitetailed deer, and invasive species create economic and ecologic challenges. Compounding the problem is the lack of scientifically rigorous research on the overall impacts for forest management of the effected ecosystem and its components. To address these issues, the Hoosier Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) was initiated in 2006. It is a long-term (100 years), and large-scale study of forest management and its impacts. Researchers from Purdue University, Ball State University, Indiana State
