North Central Research Station

Ecology and Silviculture of Northern Lake States Forests Research

Management approaches for sustaining ecological and production objectives

Riparian forest management Ecological forestry Forest productivity impacts Invasive shrubs

Riparian forests are those portions of the landscape that influence and are influenced by surface water ecosystems. Important riparian functions include provision of habitat for plants and animals, shading and microclimatic amelioration of aquatic ecosystems, bank stabilization, interception, filtering, and transformation of water and water borne sediment and nutrients, production and flux of organic matter to aquatic systems, including large wood, particulate, and dissolved organic matter.

Our research seeks to better understand these interactions and functions, particularly in riparian forests of the upper Great Lakes region. We work on riparian forests associated with small order streams and seasonal forest wetlands. Much of our work on forest-water interactions is conducted within the context of operational-scale riparian forest management experiments that examine potential trade-offs between sustaining ecological function and managing for timber in riparian areas.

For more information on riparian forest management and forest-water interactions, see:

Testing the Efficacy of Buffers for Protecting Seasonal Ponds, Amphibians, and Forest Songbirds in Northern Minnesota (pdf)
Testing the Efficacy of Buffers for Protecting Streams and Riparian Forest (pdf)
Estimating Riparian Area Extent and Landuse in the North Central United States.

We also have ongoing research on...

Predicting ecological and social impacts of riparian landuse in a north central lakescape.
Influence of Stream Geomorphology and Large Wood Dams on Organic Matter Processing and aquatic Foodwebs in Northern Hardwood Watersheds
Biophysical characteristics and landscape variation of seasonal forest wetlands.
Evaluating Riparian Timber Harvesting Guidelines