Management strategies to increase stand structural diversity and enhance biodiversity in coastal rainforests of Alaska

Coastal rainforests of southeast Alaska have relatively simple species composition but complex structures with high diversity of tree ages, sizes and forest canopy layers, and an abundant understory plant community. Wildlife and fisheries resources also play an important role in the ecological functioning of forest and aquatic systems. Clearcutting has greatly altered these forest ecosystems with significant decreases in structural diversity of forest stands and greatly reduced wildlife habitat. This paper synthesizes information on management options in older forests that have never been actively managed, and in younger forests to increase diversity of stand structures and their associated effects on biodiversity. Light to moderate levels of partial cutting in old-growth forests can maintain the original diversity of overstory stand structures and understory plant communities. In younger forests that develop after clearcutting, mixed alder-conifer stands provide more heterogeneous structures and significantly higher understory biomass than in pure conifer forests. Research has shown that red alder increases diversity and abundance of understory plants, and provides forage for deer and small mammals. Results also show a clear linkage between alder and improved invertebrate diversity in aquatic systems. A combination of light partial cutting in older forests along with inclusion of red alder in conifer-dominated forests could provide the greatest amount of diversity and maintain the complex stand structures that are an important component of these forest ecosystems.