Managing forested wetland landscapes for water quality improvement, quantity control, and productivity requires a detailed understanding of functional linkages between ecohydrological processes and management practices..
The foundation of the Center for Forested Watershed Research’s research on Wetland Ecology is predicated on understanding the hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles as a basis for sustainability.
Restoration of wetland and riparian ecosystems within wetland landscapes requires new or improved technologies, reference system models, and reliable indicators of restoration success and ecosystem health.
When the National Forest System was established in 1905, one of its first mandates was to restore the watershed function of forests. Today an estimated 80 percent of U.S. freshwater resources originate in forests, with much of the nation's drinking water coming from the estimated 192 million acres of our national forests, which actually make up only 30 percent of U.S. forested land.
Acorns are considered a keystone resource in upland hardwood ecosystems. Acorn abundance influences rodent populations and the populations of their predators. Populations of many game species including squirrels, bear and deer are also affected by annual acorn production.