Four Elements of a Healthy Forest

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When you close your eyes and think of a healthy forest, you may picture one that’s thick with trees. But a healthy forest is complex, just like the plant and animal species that live there. 

Rick Kuyper, Sierra-Cascades division supervisor in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, has visited many of California’s forests. Kuyper and his team work alongside federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, to recover listed species living in the Sierra Nevada. 

“We work closely with public land management agencies and private landowners to ensure we have healthy forests for the species in the Sierras,” said Kuyper. “Restoring and conserving good forest habitat is a key component to successfully recovering species like the southern Sierra Nevada fisher and Yosemite toad.”

While the forests of California’s Sierra Nevada may not look like the forests near you, there are some things all healthy forests have in common. Here are four features of healthy forests that you can look for on your next journey into the outdoors.

Healthy forests are rich with plant and animal life

a black and white woodpecker with a red crown sits in a coast live oak tree
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Healthy forests have an abundance of species from every kingdom of life. Credit: Cal Robinson/USFWS

The biggest marker of any healthy ecosystem is biodiversity. That means that there is a wide variety of species from all kingdoms of life, whether that be plants, animals, fungi or microorganisms we can’t see. 

“We know forests are healthy when we see variety of young and old trees, many different tree species, shrubs, grasses and flowers,” said Kuyper. “When forests are rich in plant life, they also tend to be rich in birds, insects, large carnivores and prey animals.”

A biodiverse forest is a sign that nature’s cycles, such as the food web, nutrient exchange in the soil and the water cycle, are working well. With these cycles in good working order, the forest is more resilient to disease and large, high-severity wildfires. 

Healthy forests offer a variety of habitats

A creek winds through a green meadow in the mountains, with coniferous trees around the edges of the meadow
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Healthy forests have many habitats and more biodiversity. In this snapshot from Lassen Volcanic National Park, different habitats can be seen in the stream, the grassy meadow, among the trees, and in the bare rock between trees in the higher elevations. Credit: Kim Turner/USFWS

Different animals and plants need different forest features to thrive. Forest features change depending on elevation, climate and access to water. If you go exploring, you may find some of the following habitat types in the forest:

  • old-growth areas with dense trees and vegetation that provide shade and cover for prey animals like fishers and martens 
  • open, grassy meadows where grazers can forage and pollinators can find flowers
  • downed logs, snags and rocks that provide shelter for animals that seek cavities and burrows, including snakes and rodents
  • areas with patchy tree cover so sun and rain can reach short plants, sprouts and the ground
  • ponds, creeks, lakes and rivers where aquatic plants and animals such as frogs and beavers live
  • green, moist areas around those water sources that include riparian areas and wetlands

“The wildlife in a forest is going to be as diverse as the available habitats. When you walk through a forest and find a meadow and pond surrounded by bushes and trees of different heights and species, there is going to be a bigger variety of animal species there than in a forest that’s just a stand of trees that are all the same species and age,” said Kuyper.

A healthy forest has trees of different sizes and ages

A mixed group of trees with a variety of species and ages at the edge of a wetland
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A healthy forest has many different tree species at different heights and ages. Credit: Rick Kuyper/USFWS

While trees are adapted to the weather and conditions of their native range, climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

Learn more about climate change is putting more pressure on forests all the time, which is affecting how trees grow. A healthy forest should have a mix of saplings and young trees among the old growth. If there are no young trees, that’s a sign that something in the forest is preventing new trees from sprouting such as poor soil conditions. If mature trees are dying, extended drought or disease could be the cause.

“Mature trees that are already stressed from drought succumb more easily to bark beetle infestations. When bark beetle populations reach high numbers, there aren’t enough predators like woodpeckers and parasitic wasps to keep them in check,” said Kuyper

Next time you’re in the forest, see if you can spot both young and old trees of different trunk sizes.

Healthy forests have clean water

a slow moving pool of water surrounded by riparian shrubs and small trees
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The shrubs on the shore of the Feather River in Plumas National Forest filter water before it enters the river. Credit: Cal Robinson/USFWS

Clean water is needed by all species to survive. A healthy forest has plenty of trees, shrubs and grasses with robust root systems to control erosion. When there aren’t enough plants to hold the soil, rains can funnel too much dirt, ash and other debris into ponds, lakes and creeks, muddying the waters. Erosion is especially bad for aquatic species like frogs whose eggs can get buried by dirt. Water can also be impacted by conditions upstream like the dumping of human waste, garbage or chemicals.

Clean water in the forests is important for everyone, not just the animals and plants that live there. Forests in the mountains play an important part in providing people, fish and other wildlife downstream with clean drinking water.

“Mountain forests are often the starting point for the water we drink in cities. In most cases, the more pure and clean the water is upstream, the better the water that comes out of our tap,” said Kuyper. 

Do your part to keep our forests healthy

Wondering now how you can help forests near you? Here are a few tips!

1. When you recreate, follow the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace:

  • Plan Ahead and Prepare – Bark beetles travel with firewood, so buy firewood where you plan to burn it. If you’re traveling with livestock, make sure to feed them weed-free hay in the days leading up to the trip so that invasive plants aren’t spread in their droppings.
  • Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces – Going off trail or camping over vegetation can cause erosion or damage fragile species.
  • Dispose of Waste Properly – This includes pet waste! Be sure to pack it out as it can bring foreign parasites or bacteria to forest species. All kinds of litter, even food scraps, can cause health problems for animals.
  • Leave What You Find – As a whole, it’s best to leave things where you find them, as they might be part of an animal’s home or an important food source.
  • Minimize Campfire Impacts – Nine out of ten fires are human-caused. Be sure to check the fire conditions of where you’re going, and avoid making fires on warm, windy days in particular. When there is wind and the vegetation is dry, fires can spread faster than you might imagine and are very hard to get under control.
  • Respect Wildlife – approaching wildlife can cause stress to the animals or lethal accidents for the animal or you. Feeding animals encourages animals to associate food with humans, which can cause them to harass humans or lose their ability to get their own food. Animals that become too familiar with people often end up euthanized. 
  • Be Considerate of Other Visitors – By being considerate of other visitors, you’re showing consideration to all of the species that live there too! 

2. Learn more about how climate change is impacting our forests and other ecosystems. Find out what you can do to contribute toward a greener future. This could be things like joining a local volunteer group that plants trees, helping young people in your life grow their love of nature, and so much more.

What is a healthy forest? Healthy forests are beneficial for people and wildlife. When forests are healthy, they produce enough food, water, and shelter to support local wildlife, clean the air, reduce erosion into nearby streams and lakes, and are less susceptible to large scale high severity wildfires. But what does a healthy forest look like? A healthy forest features a patchwork of open and densely forested spaces, contains a mix of trees and plants that reach different heights and sizes, allows sunshine and precipitation to reach the forest floor, and has large rocks, stumps, and logs that provide hiding places and homes for wildlife. Artwork of a healthy forest, with pine trees, aspens, and other tree species of different ages and heights mixed together. Hills in the background have large open areas and forested areas. In the foreground, a creek flows down rocks and is surrounded by bushes and grass growing at the edges. In the open areas between trees, small shrubs and grasses grow. A California spotted owl perches on a tree branch looking intensely toward the viewer. California spotted owls prefer forests that have some open areas, like meadows, where they can swoop down and catch prey and tall trees they can use to hide from predators and stay cool. A fisher, an animal in the weasel family, grips its claws into the bark of a tree and looks into the distance curiously. Fishers den in tree trunks, logs and stumps. They move their young, called kits, to multiple dens as they grow, so having both living and dead trees in the forest increases the chance of finding den-worthy holes. A brown frog with a yellow underside and dark spots rests on a piece of wood at the creek's edge. Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs lay their eggs in slow moving streams and ponds in the mountains. Strong roots from trees and shrubs prevent sediment from rushing into the water and covering the frog eggs or filling in breeding pools. Alongside partners, the U S Fish and Wildlife Service is working under the authority of the endangered species act to support activities that improve the overall health of the nation's forests, reduce the risk of large scale high severity fires, and protect important habitat for forest dwelling plants and animals. Learn more at fws.gov/sacramento.
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Story Tags

Forests
Habitat conservation

Written By

Published

Edited By

Meghan Snow

Featured in the Story

Rick Kuyper
For Parents and Educators

Facilities

Pacific Southwest Region Headquarters
Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office

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