Abstract
Coastal redwood old-growth forests are widely considered as some of the most ecologically significant landscapes, rich in both cultural and environmental history. These forests have provided essential habitat for threatened species and support a complex web of life for flora, fauna, and Indigenous people since time immemorial. However, the forced removal of Indigenous peoples, loss of Indigenous stewardship and the prioritization of Western management objectives–such as intensive logging– have resulted in habitat degradation and fragmentation, severely disrupting ecological cycles. Approximately 95% of Coastal redwood old-growth forests have been lost to extractive industries, with the remaining 5% mostly held in conservation within government controlled reserves. The Headwaters Forest Reserve (HFR), established in 1999, is located in Humboldt County, California and holds a protected 7,472-acre area, with 3,000 acres being old-growth forest and the remaining acreage characterized as secondary and third growth forests.
Over 150 years of shifting management practices in the reserve are still evident on the landscape as overcrowded forest stands with dense canopies, forming inhospitable conditions that have diminished biodiversity and reduced understory richness. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking to treat overcrowded stands through active silvicultural management of residual forests and utilize the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) to invite Indigenous stewardship back into the reserve. This study examines the need to modify existing Western scientific approaches to forest and understory management, advocating for a more holistic approach for best management practices for the development of effective restoration goals.
Date
Fall 2024
Department
Environmental Science & Management
Advisor/Professor
Daniel Lipe