The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has actively managed it's timberland for nearly four years. Carefully guarded wooded acreage is an asset to both it's owners and area wildlife.

Forest management involves the expertise of professionals like Turnpike Engineering Analyst/Property Manager Donald C. Lowell, P.L.S., and the Turnpike's consultant, forestry expert Thomas O'Neal (O'Neal's Forestry in Bedford, Pennsylvania). "Most people are not aware that a productive forest requires man's help in order to flourish. Things like disease and deterioration can be managed when wooded areas are tended to by knowledgeable caretakers," Lowell explained. "For example, a pure oak woodlot is much more susceptible to gypsy moth damage than a woodlot that only contains 20% oak with the balance being mixed hardwoods or conifers (evergreens)."

Logging plays a large part in properly managing woodlands. Left unattended, trees can become stressed from fire and disease. Harvesting mature trees encourages growth of young saplings. Biological maturity occurs when trees have slowed in growth, generally due to size and age. As a tree ages, it can become more susceptible to damage from insects or disease.

"Trees compete with each other for sunlight, moisture and mineral nutrients, O'Neal said. "Mature trees practically smother saplings and ground cover making it impossible for them to receive the sunlight they must have in order to grow."

"Wildlife within the forest could suffer from lack of food and ground cover protection if new growth isn't encouraged," O'Neal continued. "In fact, a well-tended forest can promote an even more positive environment for wildlife by introducing a greater variety of vegetation into the area."

To date, the Turnpike has harvested timber on approximately 200 acres. An additional 100 acres have been earmarked for harvest in the near future. Through the Turnpike's competitive bidding process, various logging companies are contracted to harvest the timber and haul it to market.

Through the use of good forestry management, the Turnpike has achieved:

• Better utilization of a renewable resource through proper management practices.

• Increased income.

• Increased value for the resource by way of increasing the value of young timber through selective harvest in an effort to obtain a higher number of trees which contain higher quality hardwood and softwood timber.

• Promotion of better wildlife habitats through biodiversity and forest cover types.

Turnpike Executive Director John T. Durbin commented, "Because the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is a responsible land owner, we utilize proper forest management. Increased revenue, better wildlife habitats, and a more aesthetically pleasing forest with higher quality timber resources are the objective of responsible forest management."

COMPOSITION OF A TREE:

The core of a tree is called heartwood. Within the heartwood is a core of inactive cells which give the tree trunk its strength and durability.

Sapwood is the name of the next layer. Sapwood, along with the adjoining layer, the inner bark, feeds the tree. Sapwood carries water and minerals from the roots all the way to the crown, while the inner bark delivers food from the leaves, down the trunk and to the roots.

Just underneath the thick outer bark is cambium, a layer made up of living cells that create new wood and bark.

Finally, the outer bark protects the tree's living tissue from harsh weather, and damage from insects, animals, disease and fire.

FOREST FACTS:

• Because of their size and ability to live up to 250 years, trees dominate the ecosystem. The oldest known trees on earth are bristlecone pines, living as long as 4,600 years.
  
• The life span of leaves vary from less than one year to over 20 years (depending on the species).
  
• A tree's root system consists of large, woody roots and a vast network of fine roots. Larger roots serve as the tree's anchor while fine roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
  
• Due to shorter growing seasons, trees located in cold climates are generally smaller in dimension and wider spaced.
  
• Trees supply mankind with a vast variety of products which include: food (fruits, nuts and sugar); fuel to keep us warm and cook our food; lumber, plywood and particle board for construction; paper and pencils; some fabrics like rayon (produced from wood pulp); rubber; and turpentine.
  

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