Today, on the 22nd of April, we are celebrating Earth Day, aimed at raising awareness about environmental issues and promoting sustainability, as well as serving as a reminder of the importance of protecting our planet and taking action to address environmental challenges. Earth Day is an excellent opportunity to take time to think about our […] The post Happy Earth Day! appeared first on The Forest Bathing Institute.| The Forest Bathing Institute
Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) provides restoration ecology a framework for restoring processes that maintain / renew ecological function, biological diversity, and capacity for ecosystem services. In summary, IDH illuminates natural disturbances, such as herbivory and fire, that occurred in predictable cycles, pulses, and patterns, preventing widespread system decent into late succession, as characterized by declines […] The post Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) appeare...| Stephen Thomforde
Grassland – Savanna complex without grazing, millions of acres in the Midwest landscape perpetuated in the catastrophic state: Sick land: These pictures were taken in a regional park within the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Both sites are southwest aspects on well drained Hawick gravel glacial moraine soils, perfect aspect and soils for mesic-dry and dry grassland-savannas. […] The post What happens when grazing animals are removed from grassland savannas? appeared first on Stephen Thomforde.| Stephen Thomforde
Oak Forest Restoration Versus Savanna Restoration: Here’s an example of using an erroneous official vegetation label “Oak Forest” or “Oak Woodland” and even “Floodplain Forest”, instead of the more ecologically accurate concept “Savanna” for restoration target goals. What do we mean by the term forest, or the more nebulous term “woodlands”? These two sites are […] The post Oak Forest Restoration Versus Savanna Resoration appeared first on Stephen Thomforde.| Stephen Thomforde
A Classic Example of Oak Mismanagement. Oaks are GRASSLAND trees / NOT forest trees! This tree, in a Bloomington Park, is 38″ dbh, in Hawick sand-gravel loams. The above ground structure, in these soils, can easily be 300 – 500 years old. Despite the good intentions of the land managers, to not disturb the oak […] The post Oaks are Grassland Trees, Not Forest Trees appeared first on Stephen Thomforde.| Stephen Thomforde
Stephen Thomforde 2017 Introduction: In this document the floodplain is defined as the flat plain between the river and the blufflands that fills with water during flood events. This interpretation is based on elevation without any consideration of vegetation or soil classification. This document further constrains the definition of floodplain by soils which are alluvial […] The post Floodplain Forest as a Novel Vegetation Instead of a Historic Community and Why it Matters appeared first on...| Stephen Thomforde
This sheep farm is one block from the Mall of America. It is the last working farm in Bloomington, MN. In the background you can see the Minnesota River Valley and 11,000 acres of publicly owned (Federal, State, and City) land that lays lifeless and barren outside a parvenu of rank inedible, non-flammable species. The land […] The post Last Farm in Bloomington: Save the Sheep for Ecological Restoration of the MN River Corridor appeared first on Stephen Thomforde.| Stephen Thomforde