South Dakota Forests

Forest Types

• Black Hills• Flood Plain Forest• Upland Forest• Windbreaks and urban forests

South Dakota Forests

1. Black Hills Forest

- Includes mostly ponderosa pine, aspen and spruce

Ponderosa Pine

Aspen

Aspen

Aspen

Spruce

Spruce

Spruce

South Dakota Forests

1. Black Hills Forest

- Includes mostly ponderosa pine, aspen and spruce

- Encompasses 1.3 million acres in the hills and outlying areas

• Tunnel under bark of infected trees• Mate and lay up to 75 eggs under bark• Once hatched, larvae tunnel away from

hatched site , feeding as they go

Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic

• First major outbreak in 1997• 2006 – about 30% of the area infected

– Estimated around 50% today– Estimated 370,000 acres of ponderosa pine have

been affected in the last 10 years. (out of 1.5 million acres)

Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic

Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic

Methods of control

• Prescribed burning of affected areas• Thinning of forest and infected and

threatened areas– Logging– Pile infected logs and burn or woodchip

Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic

South Dakota Forests

2. Flood Plain Forest

- Elm / Ash trees located along the Missouri river and tributaries

American Elm

Green Ash

South Dakota Forests

2. Flood Plain Forest

- Elm / Ash trees located along the Missouri river and tributaries

- Cottonwood trees along small rivers and streams

Cottonwood

Cottonwood

South Dakota Forests

2. Flood Plain Forest

- Elm / Ash trees located along the Missouri river and tributaries

- Cottonwood trees along small rivers and streams

- Total 175,000 acres

South Dakota Forests

3. Upland forests

- Eastern deciduous forest pockets ...Newton Hills

South Dakota Forests

4. Windbreaks and Urban forests

- Planted by settlers

Forest - Prairie

• Encroachment– Trees– Shrubs– Smooth Sumac