Forest Ecology

The information in this section has been excerpted from the "Introduction to Forest Ecology and Silviculture" Thom J McEvoy, Extension Forester, published by the University of Vermont in 1995.  His work is an excellent starting point for understanding how forests change over time.

Individual trees often outlive their landowners who never notice the slow changes, so it is a common misconception that forests are static ecosystems.  The following pages on forest ecology will give you an appreciation of how forests change and how those changes can be directed to improve a forest's productivity, or, at a minimum, prevent a forest's decline.