"Trees -- Rooted in Our Future"

Study Guide

"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit."
        -- Elton Trueblood

Trees are rooted in Minnesota's environmental, economic, and aesthetic future for all living things.  Trees are a renewable resource.  Through proper planning and management, we can use them and still always have them.

Trees are the dominant vegetation in a complex and changing system of plants and animals living in, on and above a suitable soil that we call a forest. The forest is made up of a series of levels of life arranged from the tops of the trees to the ground in which they grow.

Canopy

The top level, called the canopy, is formed by the crowns, the leafy tops of the tallest trees. This is where photosynthesis is carried on most actively. The canopy is the home of thousands of insects that attract large numbers of insect eating birds. Squirrels are also active in the canopy where seeds and nuts are plentiful.

Understory

The understory, the next level, is made up of small trees pushing up toward the light. The feeding conditions in the understory attract another population of animals, birds, and insects.

Shrub Layer

The middle layer, called the shrub layer, is composed of many kinds of shrubs and vines which offer still different nesting and feeding opportunities. This is the home of many of our songbirds that rely on the berries and seeds of the shrub for food.

Herb Layer

Next is the herb layer that is made up of green plants with soft rather than woody stems. Here we find the low-lying wildflowers, grasses, ferns, and mosses. Ground nesting birds, mice, insects, snakes, and toads are found living in the herb layer.

Forest Floor

Next is the forest floor where accumulations of autumn leaves, twigs, branches, and even whole trees lie until they are turned into humus by the activity of the fungi, millipedes, ants, and other insects.

Roots

The bottom level can't even be seen, but it is very important to the life of the forest: the underground level where the roots grow. The roots draw up both water and minerals from the soil. On a warm day, a large tree can take in as much as 260 gallons of water. The roots also anchor the tree in the ground and help to hold it upright.

Altogether these six levels and the plants and animals living in them make up the complex and changing system we call a "forest."

The retreat of glaciers in Minnesota thousands of years ago left behind the potential for growth of our forest today. The workings of wind, water, ice, and rock combined with primitive plants like lichens, algae, and mosses to form the beginnings of soil. Eventually new kinds of plants emerged to compete with the existing plants (succession) for this new space. Minnesota's appearance gradually changed. Finally, after a very slow process, these soil makers produced a soil thick enough to support trees. Forests in Minnesota were born.

Forests and the many resources found there have been an integral part of people's lives. Native Americans used the forest directly for food, homes, dyes, and medicines. Their boats, tools, and weapons were forest products. The forests of Minnesota, in part, contributed to where settlers chose to live. Livelihoods were supported by the abundant resources found in the forest: wood for cabins, mills, and barns; wildlife for food and furs; employment through logging and milling.

By 1870, virtually all Minnesota forests became or would become a prime commercial resource. Ron Royer's Minnesota Department of Natural Resources publication Forest Management in Minnesota states, "...the forest was thought to be so vast that it would never run out. Systematically, often deviously, the land was bought, cut over, burned to clear it, and then resold in an endless cycle of exploitation."

It took the devastating Hinckley fire of 1894, Chisholm fires in 1908, and the Baudette and Spooner fires of 1910 for Minnesota public opinion to swing around and support the need for forest management. The people of Minnesota began to see that the forest was not inexhaustible, but had to be replenished.

Today, because of forest management which includes cooperation among federal, state, and county governments, industry and private citizens, Minnesota's trees are steadily increasing. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U. S. D. A. Forest Service have jointly inventoried Minnesota's trees in 1936, 1953, 1962, 1977, and 1990 and 2003.  The results of the 2003 census show that 32% of Minnesota's land use is forest. In 1962, Minnesota had eight million trees nineteen or more inches in diameter. In 1977, fourteen million trees were found to be nineteen or more inches in diameter. And In 2003, twenty-three million trees were counted as nineteen or more inches in diameter.  Trees rooted in Minnesota's future are growing!

Today, Minnesota's forests are being managed for multiple uses. Minnesota's trees provide:

• clean air to breathe;

• reduction of soil erosion and water pollution;

• soil nutrients;

• increased property value;

• lumber for furniture and building supplies;

• cellulose for paper and fiber;

• nuts, mulches, oils, gums, syrups, and fruits;

• peace and tranquility;

• beauty and splashes of seasonal color;

• habitat for birds and other wildlife;

• trails for hiking, biking, snowmobiling, and skiing; and

• tree lined roads and shorelines.

Clearly, the way our forests are managed is of interest to many diverse groups. Minnesota is meeting and must continue to meet a great responsibility... to protect its forests while dealing with the sometimes conflicting needs of its multiple users.

Trees --
Rooted in our Environmental Future

As with all our natural resources, air, soil, water, and trees are interdependent. The use or misuse of one will affect the others.

Trees affect our atmosphere. They provide the balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. An acre of young trees can produce enough oxygen to keep eighteen people alive. In addition, trees use up carbon dioxide that we exhale and that is emitted by factories and engines. Trees also purify our air by using their hairy leaf surfaces to trap and filter out ash, dust, and pollen particles.

Trees are barriers against the wind, and keep topsoil from blowing away. Wind erosion not only affects our air quality, but also affects our water quality when it deposits soil particles in rivers, lakes and streams. Planting trees in windbreaks (rows of trees or shrubs planted perpendicular to the prevailing winds) to reduce wind erosion and provide wildlife habitat was one of the earliest and most widespread conservation practices used by Minnesota's Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) to help Minnesota's landowners deal with the wind and the drought of the "Dirty Thirties." Placed properly, windbreaks can protect agricultural fields, homes, farm structures, buildings, and animals. Windbreaks also increase comfort levels by protecting against cold and wind in the winter and against sun in the summer. This natural insulation can significantly reduce energy costs.

Trees directly affect our soil. The valuable organic matter (leaves, twigs, branches) provides nutrients for the soil. By adding or removing these chemical elements, trees can change the composition or structure of a soil. Texture of a soil can be changed by the growing, expanding root systems of a tree.

Soil and trees join forces to affect the quality of our water. Forests maximize the ability for the soil to absorb water at its surface. The leaves, twigs, and branches slow down the rainfall, allowing the soil the time needed to soak up the water. Without roots to hold the soil, and leaves to break the raindrop's impact, the water flows too quickly and heavily, producing flooding and carrying precious topsoil into our water systems. This sedimentation can harm lakes, rivers, and streams; keeping the wetlands clear can require expensive dredging, and chemicals in the sediment can contaminate the water.

Trees affect the quantity and distribution of water In other ways. A tree's shade permits snow to melt slowly, allowing the soil to absorb almost all of the melting snow and feed the water table with clean water. Trees also evaporate moisture through transpiration, cooling the surrounding air. 

The quality of our environment is greatly influenced by trees. Rows of trees provide a visual screen for unsightly dumps and busy roadways. Trees also reduce noise pollution by acting as barriers to sound. Each 100 foot width of trees can absorb about 6-8 decibels of sound intensity.

Trees also provide special living places for wildlife called habitat. Just as trees, air, soil, and water are interdependent, so are trees and wildlife. A mature oak provides shelter and acorns for the squirrels to eat, and the squirrels in turn bury the acorns that later grow into new oak trees! This helps renew the forest and continues the cycle called "stages of the forest." These stages of the forest are:

 Meadows or openings;
 Shrubs and small trees;
 Young forest;
 Mature forest; and
 Old forest.

As the forest slowly changes from one stage to another, it supports different kinds of wildlife. Each stage of a forest is important, including dead trees that provide homes for woodpeckers. If a forest area is to support a variety of wildlife, it must be managed so that all of the stages of a forest are present.

Trees are rooted in the future of our air, soil, water, and wildlife. We need trees!

Trees -- Rooted in Our Economic Future

Trees not only protect our soil and water but also are a major Minnesota crop.  According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Forestry 2006 publication Minnesota’s Forest Resources, over 41,000 people are employed in Minnesota’s forest and wood-related industries.  It is the fourth largest manufacturing industry in Minnesota, based on employment.  Another DNR source, the 1990 newsletter, Tree Talk 4, states that "over 7 million coniferous [evergreen] trees are being grown in Minnesota at this moment, specifically for Christmas trees.  About 2.5 million are sold each year, and another 1.75 million are planted to keep a steady supply for the years ahead."

Daily, we are surrounded by the products of trees. Our homes are made of wood. Inside our homes, we find furniture, coat hangars, rayon material, window sills, and pencils made of wood. Our kitchens contain cereal boxes, paper plates, and cups. We use brooms with wooden handles and paper vacuum cleaner bags.

Our food includes fruit, nuts, and thick maple syrup. Outside of our homes, we find wood products in the form of picnic tables, fence posts, and patio decks. At last count, over 5,000 different products were derived from wood.

In addition, real estate agents report that homes or other property with trees sell more readily and at higher prices than comparable homes and lots with no trees.

Other economic gains from trees are the recreational uses, such as hunting, camping, snowmobiling, skiing, bird watching, and hiking.

Trees are rooted in the future of Minnesota's economy. We need trees!

Trees -- Rooted in Our Aesthetic Future

Trees satisfy human needs for beauty, quiet, and diversity. Many people gain a sense of well-being while in the forest, park, or other location of trees. An appreciation for this environment has inspired musical works by artists like Beethoven, as well as songs, poetry, stories, and art. Trees and forests have been the focus of myths, legends, and religious beliefs.

Monetary value can be projected for lumber and recreational uses, but how can one measure the value of our trees for air and water quality, wildlife habitat, weather changes, or aesthetics? We need trees! 

Trees -- Renewable Resources

Unlike other resources which, once used, are gone forever, trees through reforestation and replanting can be available forever if we don't take them for granted. We need to ensure that our use doesn't exceed our resource. Although a renewable resource, trees are also a limited resource.

In northeastern Minnesota, SWCDs together with state and federal partners help landowners choose from different management practices and techniques to successfully plan for and manage private forest lands so that we can use them and still always have them. Pruning, thinning, and allowing natural regeneration or providing artificial regeneration are a part of forest management practices with which SWCDs help landowners. Knowledge of the soil type, water table, slope of the land, and pH are important in making many management decisions. Any site disturbance can upset the balance of the forest. Road construction, recreational activities, grazing, and clearing for fire breaks are potential threats to a forest area. Exposure of mineral soil, soil compaction, or removal of growing material can lead to increased runoff and erosion. Whenever pollution occurs in a forested area, it is likely to ruin a high quality environment.

Protection of the forest is a major part of a forest manager's job. In addition to site disturbances, the potential for wild fire can be great. Unknowingly, sparks from the exhaust of a vehicle can lead to disaster. An untended campfire or a flicked match or cigarette can lead to a major forest wild fire. With public awareness on the increase, wild fires are no longer the greatest threat to our trees in Minnesota. Disease and insects that work slowly and steadily are of greater concern. Decisions of removal or treatment have to be made. Treatment has to be done carefully for introduction of insecticides or pesticides into the forest can be harmful to the fish and wildlife found there.

Minnesota's forests are generally found in rural areas, but forest management extends into the urban areas as well. Urban trees, primarily grown for shade, beauty, visual screening, and noise reduction are so valuable that their losses should not be tolerated. Management of urban forests includes preventing and fighting disease, removal when necessary, insect control, and replanting. The devastating Dutch elm disease which destroyed about 9,000,000 trees statewide in one year illustrates dramatically the need for forest management in both rural and urban areas.

Trees -- Rooted in Our Future

Every human activity has an effect on the environment. The purchase of a burger at a fast food restaurant may involve a paper wrapper around the burger... a box around the paper wrapped burger... a cardboard tray or paper bag in which to carry the burger... a paper cup of soda... a paper wrapped straw... a paper salt packet... and a paper napkin.

The need to weigh degrading activities against the benefits received is becoming increasingly important as populations and consumption increase. Many products are over wrapped for reasons other than protection.

As consumers, we can influence wasteful practices by refusing to buy, by reusing, or by recycling.

As homeowners, we can protect the trees in our yards.

As citizens, we can support the current successful management of our trees through continued cooperation of all levels of government, industry, and private citizens.

As citizens, we can be aware of the attitudes and policies of our political leaders toward the environment and then vote accordingly.

Responsibility for the future of our trees should be shared by everyone. Short term "wants" must be balanced by future needs. Long-range planning is necessary to insure a bountiful source of trees for future generations. The people of Minnesota need to react to our trees as stewards rather than owners because...

Trees are for everyone.

We need trees firmly rooted in our future!

Minnesota's Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are working to conserve and manage Minnesota's trees.  Each SWCD responds to the particular needs in its area.  Because of Minnesota's diversity, those services range from planting and matting field windbreaks, living snow fences and farmstead shelterbelts to a professional forester on staff to providing information about the trees suitable for planting in different soil types.  Each SWCD is a local unit of government through which landowners and landusers receive local, state, and federal assistance.  Together, the SWCD and the landowner cooperate to apply conservation practices to protect Minnesota's trees.  These SWCDs vigorously encourage landowners to plant trees, one of nature's best conservation practices.  Contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District to become a "cooperator" in managing Minnesota's trees.

  Minnesota State Tree – Norway Pine

(Pinus resinosa)

The red or Norway pine (Pinus resinosa) became the official state tree in 1953.  Red pines are tall, stately trees that reach heights of 60 to nearly 150 feet.  Their trunks are straight and uniform and may grow to five feet in diameter.  When mature, the trees usually are bare of branches for two-thirds of the way up the trunk, with rounded tops or “crowns.”  Their needles are four to six inches long and grow in pairs.  Red pines begin producing cones at 15 to 20 years of age.  Their cones, about two inches long and stout, have a two-year growing cycle; they begin growing in mid-summer the first year, remain attached through the following summer, and ripen in the fall.  Red pines are popular as Christmas trees when small, and when mature are harvested for use as structural timber and pulpwood; they also make suitable poles, pilings, mining timbers, and railroad ties because their wood is easily penetrated by preservatives.  Red pines can live to be about 400 years old.  They grow on outwash plains, level or gently rolling sand plains, and low ridges adjacent to lakes and swamps; in northeastern Minnesota, they often grow on very exposed sites including islands, peninsulas, lakeshores, and steep slopes.