Program on the Environment

Ecological forestry (ecoforestry) is an alternative forestry management system based on the idea of keeping a forest ecosystem intact, providing an environmentally sound alternative to outdated and harmful traditional industrial forestry methods (tree plantations). Ecoforestry is not widely implemented in the United States due to a lack of ethical norms, less economic output than traditional methods, and outdated industrial forestry methods being the historical norm. The purpose of this work was to investigate the driving factors and limitations of ecological forestry in the United States. I worked with Northwest Natural Resource Group to survey the growth and health of forests previously thinned under an “ecological thinning” (a type of ecoforestry) management, and to interview the landowners on their knowledge and perspective on ecoforestry. I also conducted an extensive literature review on the ethics, ecology, history and economics of ecoforestry. Findings show that ecoforestry is done by highly educated small forest landowners to maintain the health of their forest ecosystems under a stewardship mentality. Furthermore ecoforestry is based on constantly updated scientific research with a deep body of silviculture (tree/forest cultivation) knowledge. Ecoforestry is limited by its comparatively smaller financial output, absence of industrial utilization and lack of cohesive ethical direction. Future action is to work with landowners and foresters to develop a comprehensive set of ethical norms for ecoforestry, creating economic incentives for participatory landowners, and applying ecosystem-based management to industrial forestry.