Post-hurricane forest management responses in the southern United States

Pete Bettinger, PhD; Krista L. Merry, MS; Jeffrey Hepinstall, PhD

doi:10.5055/jem.2009.0038

Authors

Pete Bettinger, PhD
Krista L. Merry, MS
Jeffrey Hepinstall, PhD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2009.0038

Keywords:

wind damage, storm surge, windthrow, debris removal, timber supplies, wildlife and recreation impacts

Abstract

Although people living along the southeastern and Gulf coasts of the United States may have limited experience dealing with major hurricane damage, hurricanes are imminent and pose potentially dire consequences to forest resources. In addition to understanding the physical and biological reactions of forests to extreme weather conditions, there are a number of managerial responses that should be considered based on this past experience. This article presents a summary of the more pertinent forest management responses, and where appropriate, highlights situations where these were beneficial to the overall (economic, ecological, social) recovery effort. Management responses address not only the immediate needs for clearing roads and restoring basic service needs, but also the longer-term issues related to timber salvage, reforestation, forest health, and fire danger. The damage from strong winds and storm surges may also result in serious consequences for ecological values. However, challenges and issues related to the restoration of forests and forest-related values may require several years to address. Therefore, the objective of this review article is to provide a summary of the experiences of forest land managers, researchers, and emergency planners who have directly responded to severe storms affecting the southern United States.

Author Biographies

Pete Bettinger, PhD

Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Krista L. Merry, MS

Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

Jeffrey Hepinstall, PhD

Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

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