Kentucky Kentucky

Division of Division of ForestryForestry

Forestry in the Forestry in the Classroom Classroom An Educational SeriesAn Educational Series

Kentucky’s Forests Kentucky’s Forests

Keeping Our Forests Healthy

Kentucky’s Forest Ecosystems

Common Trees of Kentucky

Benefits of Trees and Forests

Our Future Forests

Presentation Presentation

Topics:Topics:

We manage forestlands.

We assist forest landowners.

We grow and plant tree seedlings.

We monitor insects and diseases.

We prevent and fight wildfire.

We oversee timber harvesting.

We maintain state forestlands.

Kentucky Division of Kentucky Division of Forestry’s Mission is to Forestry’s Mission is to make sure our forests make sure our forests

stay healthy!stay healthy!

KDFs Mission: Manage ForestsKDFs Mission: Manage Forests Trees are a renewable resource. After they are harvested, more trees will naturally grow from seed! Managing forests for the best tree growth is what forestry is all about.

Foresters help landowners manage their trees by developing stewardship plans. Stewardship plans promote timber production, wildlife habitat, water quality and/or outdoor recreation.

KDFs Mission: Assist KDFs Mission: Assist

Landowners Landowners

WILDIFE WILDIFE HABITATHABITAT

WATER WATER QUALITYQUALITY

RECREATION RECREATION & SCENERY& SCENERY

TIMBER TIMBER PRODUCTIONPRODUCTION

KDFs Mission: Grow and Plant TreesKDFs Mission: Grow and Plant Trees

Seeds are collected for growing seedlings in our nurseries. When a seed starts to grow, or germinate, it develops root hairs and the first tiny shoot.

Seeds are planted in rows or seedbeds where they develop into tree seedlings.

After one or two years, the seedlings are lifted from their seedbeds. The bare-root seedlings are then transplanted in reforestation projects.

KDFs Mission:KDFs Mission: Monitor Forest HealthMonitor Forest Health

InsectsInsects DiseasDiseasee

InvasiveInvasivess

Emerald Ash Borer Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)(EAB)

EAB survey trapEAB survey trap

Oak Wilt Disease Oak Wilt Disease and Oak Decline and Oak Decline DiseaseDisease

Kudzu Kudzu

Bush Bush HoneysuckleHoneysuckle

KDFs Mission:KDFs Mission: Prevent and Fight Prevent and Fight WildfireWildfire

Forest fires are not only dangerous, they can damage our forest resources.

Foresters and rangers are trained to suppress and fight wildfire to protect our forests.

One of forestry’s biggest promoters of preventing wildfire is…you guessed it…Smokey Bear!

KDFs Mission:KDFs Mission: Oversee Timber Oversee Timber HarvestsHarvests

Harvesting timber is hard work and it takes careful planning. A well-planned harvest, with help from foresters and rangers, will make it easier for the forest to grow back.

Trees should be carefully selected and marked for harvesting.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are used during harvest to protect the forest floor and watersheds.

Marking Marking Felling Felling Limbing Limbing Skidding Skidding LoadingLoading

KDFs Mission: Manage State ForestsKDFs Mission: Manage State Forests

Forest management practices can be seen on all state forest properties. Our foresters and rangers implement stewardship, plant tree seedlings, monitor forest health, enforce fire laws, and oversee timber harvests just as they do on private properties. The difference is … you can visit the state forests!

Kentucky has one of the Kentucky has one of the most diverse forest most diverse forest

ecosystems in the world ecosystems in the world with over 100 different with over 100 different

kinds of trees. kinds of trees.

Kentucky’s Forests: Two Forest Kentucky’s Forests: Two Forest RegionsRegions

Western Mesophytic Western Mesophytic RegionRegion

Mixed Mesophytic RegionMixed Mesophytic Region

Upland forestUpland forest

Bottomland Bottomland forest forest

Cove forestCove forest

Oak-pine Oak-pine forestforest

Bluegrass Bluegrass savannahsavannah

Oak-hickory forestOak-hickory forest

Kentucky’s Forests: Common TreesKentucky’s Forests: Common Trees

The key to identifying trees is to look at their different The key to identifying trees is to look at their different characteristics…such as leaf shape, bark, flowers, fruit, twigs characteristics…such as leaf shape, bark, flowers, fruit, twigs and buds. Can you identify these common trees based on the and buds. Can you identify these common trees based on the photos? photos?

Kentucky’s Forests: State and Heritage Kentucky’s Forests: State and Heritage TreeTree

Yellow (tulip) poplar is Yellow (tulip) poplar is Kentucky’s official state Kentucky’s official state tree. tree.

Kentucky coffeetree is Kentucky coffeetree is Kentucky’s heritage tree. Kentucky’s heritage tree.

Notice the white Notice the white furrows on the bark furrows on the bark and the simple, and the simple, tulip shaped leaves. tulip shaped leaves.

Notice the scaly Notice the scaly ridges on the bark ridges on the bark and double and double compound leaves.compound leaves.

What Trees Do For You…What Trees Do For You…

Kentucky’s Forests: Benefits of Kentucky’s Forests: Benefits of Trees Trees

Trees Clean the Trees Clean the WaterWater

Trees Provide Trees Provide HabitatHabitat

Trees Clean the Trees Clean the AirAir

Trees Give Us A Place to Enjoy and Things We Trees Give Us A Place to Enjoy and Things We Need Need

The Future of The Future of Kentucky’s Forests Kentucky’s Forests Depends on YOU!Depends on YOU!

Kentucky’s Forests: Looking Kentucky’s Forests: Looking ForwardForward

1.1. What is KDFs mission? What is KDFs mission? 2.2. Name two renewable resources. Name two renewable resources. 3.3. Name two non-renewable resources. Name two non-renewable resources. 4.4. Name two reasons why a landowner would want Name two reasons why a landowner would want

a stewardship plan for their forest? a stewardship plan for their forest? 5.5. What is the most common cause of wildfires in What is the most common cause of wildfires in

Kentucky? Kentucky? 6.6. How many different kinds of trees (species) are How many different kinds of trees (species) are

found in Kentucky? found in Kentucky? 7.7. Kentucky forests are in the Eastern Deciduous Kentucky forests are in the Eastern Deciduous

Formation, however, there are two specific Formation, however, there are two specific forest regions. Name one of these regions. forest regions. Name one of these regions.

8.8. Name three common trees of Kentucky. Name three common trees of Kentucky. 9.9. What are two benefits of trees? What are two benefits of trees? 10.10. Name three products that come from trees. Name three products that come from trees.

QuestioQuestionsns