Glacier National Park - photo by US National Park Service

Montana

On March 14, 2010 the Eastern Native Tree Society and Western Native Tree Society switched from discussion lists on Google Groups to a new discussion list in a Bulletin Board format at: http://www.ents-bbs.org/index.php   Posts made since the inception of the BBS on March 14, 2010 will be sorted and archived on the BBS. Click on the link to go to the equivalent section on the new BBS. This website will continue to serve as a front end for the ENTS and WNTS groups. It will continue to serve as a repository of older posts, and will serve as the host site for special projects and features that are not well suited for a BBS format. Please visit the BBS for the latest information and trip reports.

Field Trips and Discussions

• Missouri River Cottonwoods December 11, 2009
• Glacier National Park, MT  Dec 2008

Glacier National Park http://www.nps.gov/glac/   Glacier preserves over 1,000,000 acres of forests, alpine meadows, and lakes. Its diverse habitats are home to over 70 species of mammals and over 260 species of birds. The spectacular glaciated landscape is a hikers paradise containing 700 miles of maintained trails that lead deep into one of the largest intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states.

Montana Environmental Information Center - State Lands and Old Growth Forest http://www.meic.org/Aold_growth2.html The Montana Environmental Information Center is a member-supported statewide advocacy and public education organization. It was founded by concerned Montanans in 1973 to protect and restore Montana's natural environment. Often referred to as Montana's environmental watchdog, MEIC lobbies the state legislature, monitors state government, educates the public about environmental issues and provides citizens and communities with organizing and technical assistance.

Montana Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology http://www.forestry.umt.edu/students/organizations/mtscb/DOCUMENT.HTML  On behalf of the Montana Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology, I would like to offer the following document, a "Primer on Old-Growth Forests in Montana." Although only a brief overview, we hope that this synopsis will stimulate further questions and provide a general framework to address questions of old-growth conservation. We are also willing to offer technical guidance as specific questions and proposals emerge on this issue. For more information, visit our web site http://www.forestry.umt.edu/mtscb  

Losensky (1993) estimated that in 1900, 55% of dry ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forests in western Montana were maintained in potential old-growth status (180+ years), and that mature, but non-old-growth, stands accounted for another 16% of the total. Large portions of currently non-forested valley bottoms were covered with fire-maintained, old-growth ponderosa pine forests as well (Leiberg 1899). As a result of logging and fire suppression, few old-growth structured ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir stands remain in Montana (Fischer and Bradley 1987, Losensky 1993, Yanishevsky 1993). In fact, ponderosa pine is the most endangered old-growth forest type in Montana (Yanishevsky 1993). Until a comprehensive inventory of dry forest old growth is undertaken, it is essential to retain existing stands.