Ecological ForestryFor those managing forests, contemporary biodiversity challenges require us to think more broadly about the past, consider what actions or processes produced the forests we now have, and evaluate post‐treatment conditions of forest structure, composition, and function. The forest ecology literature is replete with studies which suggest that as forest management activities become more focused on outputs, whether timber products or wildlife population objectives, variability and complexity that drive stand‐level biodiversity are more likely to be lost. In response, ecological forestry (or "new forestry") has become increasing applied ot public and private forest lands, with ethe following precepts: 1) context—the importance of planning and management at larger (landscape) spatial scales; 2) continuity—the maintenance of forest structure, function, and biota between pre‐ and postharvest ecosystems; 3) complexity—the need to create and maintain structural and compositional complexity and biological diversity, including spatial heterogeneity at multiple spatial scales; and 4) timing—the importance of applying silvicultural treatments at ecologically appropriate time intervals.
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