Forest Matters Stewardship Newsletter Winter 2018

Let the Sun Shine In!

Jody Shimp, Let the Sun Shine In! Project, Tracy Fidler, Shawnee National Forest, and David Allen, Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Oaks are slowly disappearing from southern Illinois forests, say scientists who study the region’s forests. They blame this loss on the lack of sunlight in our forests. Without more sunlight, southern Illinois forests may be the first in Central North America to convert completely from a forest dominated by oaks to one dominated by shade-loving species, such as maple.

A darker forest means fewer songbirds, pollinators, and other wildlife. That’s because sunlight gives life to wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators feast on these flowers, while the forest floor provides cover for birds and other wildlife to raise their young.

“Oak woodlands are some of the most threatened communities in North America,” says Jody Shimp, who is coordinating an effort known as Let the Sun Shine In! “We want to create a diverse mosaic of forested habitats within these forest landscapes. By making our forests sunnier, we can save the diversity of life that depends on them.”

The new effort — coordinated by the Shawnee Resource, Conservation, and Development (RC&D) Area — is funded by a grant from the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry unit of the U.S. Forest Service.

Loss of Oaks Illinois’ oak-dominated natural communities — barrens, woodlands, and forests — are becoming denser as the forests convert to closed, mesic forests. Academics coined a term for when this happens: mesophication, which they are seeing in many Eastern U.S. forests.

Scientists believe the most important factor leading to the decline of oak is the removal of fire. There is overwhelming evidence that fire was a re-occurring event that shaped oak communities and led to oak being the dominant species in the region’s forests. Shortly after southern Illinois was settled, fire was suppressed, and forests and woodlands changed.

By suppressing fire, we allowed trees not adapted to fire to thrive and grow in between the scattered oaks. Within a short time, the oak forest changed dramatically: a cohort of trees grew that were able to survive in heavy shade. Oaks — along with the grasses and wildflowers that grow underneath them — cannot grow in low light conditions. The region is expected to lose its biodiversity if efforts are not made to reduce these shady conditions.

The oak-dominated forests of southern Illinois are rich in natural resources. The region boasts a national forest, three national wildlife refuges, three Conservation Opportunity Areas, a network of state-owned sites (parks, fish and wildlife areas, natural areas, and forests), nine areas managed by conservation organizations, and thousands of acres of conservation easements. Equally important, people who own forests in the region want to restore them. About 30 percent of private forests have a management plan whereas the national average is a mere 4 percent. Together, these plans encompass more than 100,000 acres.

Let the Sun Shine In! is a recently launched campaign to bring awareness to our changing oak-dominated forests in southern Illinois. (Courtesy image created by Tracy Fidler)

Forest Matters Stewardship Newsletter Winter 2018

Combining Regional Resources to Work in Priority Areas Southern Illinois is a large, forested landscape. Unfortunately, the demands on local organizations and private landowners to recover oak forests are greater than the resources available. Although partners — such as the U.S. Forest Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Wild Turkey Federation, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southern Illinois University, University of Carbondale, Central Hardwoods Joint Venture Partnership, and Shawnee RC&D — have collaborated for years, this project crosswalks collective forest management objectives and identifies priority areas for management in the region.

A planning effort followed the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry Landscape Stewardship Guide. It allows for a collaborative and targeted approach to forest management.

Forest managers in the region agreed they wanted to ensure oaks remain a keystone species, reduce forest fragmentation, and enhance biodiversity. They identified eight areas that had forest blocks of 7,000 or more acres, biodiversity, and where State and national forest lands intersected with private lands. By working in these areas, called Forest Stewardship Clusters, which average about 15,000 acres, the group coalesced around common goals and is developing coordination techniques that supersede ownership.

Regional planning documents were crosswalked to identify common forest management objectives. (Image created by Jody Shimp)

Forest Stewardship Clusters were selected based on the size of contiguous forest, inclusion of natural areas, and forest management opportunities. This project encourages and facilitates an “All Lands” approach to take advantage of opportunities for coordinated, landscape-scale management across public and private land. (Map created by Jeremy Vaughn, Shawnee National Forest)

Forest Matters Stewardship Newsletter Winter 2018

Forest Management in Action Private landowners often want to learn about and see specific management techniques. A new effort underway is to create four places in southern Illinois where they can easily learn about forest management firsthand.

“Our first demonstration project is located at Trail of Tears State Forest,” says David Allen, a forest ecologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “It is designed as a self-guided tour with interpretive signage. We’re also using these sites to gather better science to guide on-the-ground actions.”

The goal is to have at least one demonstration area within a short drive for most landowners.

Data Sharing and Management Imagine being out in a forest, and knowing with a simple glance at your phone what invasive species are located nearby, regardless of who owns what land. That’s the goal behind a new cloud-based mapping effort.

“We are testing a new data and information system so that everyone in the region can work with the same biological information,” says Kevin Rohling, Forestry Technician for University of Illinois Extension Forestry. “We hope this information unlocks our potential to coordinate with everyone who is working to conserve forests.”

The new information-sharing system will track invasive species, prescribed fire, and forest management data, from forest plans to actual efforts to implement forest management. These systems are based on ArcGIS Online, which allows users to collect and update information in the field.

Before this system was developed, conservation partners managed data independently of each other. This made it hard to share or combine data — or determine how well we were succeeding on the landscape. For example, it was hard to determine our success at using prescribed fire and invasive species control. Further, it was difficult, at best, to determine where the work was collectively occurring.

This kind of comprehensive region-wide information is also expected to help people develop new projects and respond more quickly to opportunities to bring additional funds to forest management.

Researchers, managers, and citizens gather at the forest management demonstration area at Trail of Tears State Forest in southern Illinois. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources set aside a 900+-acre area to develop and implement alternative forest management practices. Interpretive signs and tours are available for demonstration, education, and technology transfer. (Courtesy photo by Jody Shimp)

Forest Matters Stewardship Newsletter Winter 2018

Regional partners are now able to use mobile apps that serve as a customized and consistent data collection tool. These new information systems are already being used to share data, which allows partners to help make management decisions and justify resource needs. (Courtesy photo by Jody Shimp)

Shawnee RC&D Unique Role in Regional Forest Management Shawnee RC&D now has a unique role in coordinating a region-wide effort to bring attention to and address several regional forest threats by helping to increase oak dominance, reduce effects of forest fragmentation, improve forest health, and supplement the efforts of forestry professionals through on-the-ground work and technical assistance. This project is also raising awareness about the link between oak regeneration, biological diversity, and a more open, sunny forest, hence Let the Sun Shine In!

Private landowner outreach, demonstration areas, workshops, and communication vehicles are the tools we will use to enhance understanding of the issues in southern Illinois forests. Forest landowners will gain a deeper appreciation of how their lands can further a variety of conservation goals, from enhanced hunting opportunities to priority bird species protection.

Hairy angelica (Angelica venenosa) is a species found in southern Illinois forests and woodlands but rarely seen in bloom. Hairy angelica is a sun-loving species that is becoming lost due to shading. (Courtesy photo by Chris Benda)