Forests of Ohio

ODNR-Division of Forestry
Ohio State University Extension

Forest Health

Any measure of Ohio's forests should include a look at the full range of forestry attributes, not just the trees. These attributes include: rare, threatened and endangered species, water quality, wetlands, air quality, wildlife populations, and inputs to and outputs from the forest system.

The health of Ohio's forests is generally good. There are some notable problems with introduced pests such as gypsy moth and European pine shoot beetle. At this time, however, these pests are not widespread in Ohio.

The gypsy moth is the most immediate threat because it could spread from current infestations in northeast Ohio to the favored oakhickory forest type in the southeast portion of the state. Other forest health problems may be confined locally and be attributed to general environmental stresses such as drought, and in urban environments, soil compaction and poor species adaptation to urban conditions. Drought, in particular, can affect trees for many years after the season in which the drought occurred.

Wildlife populations associated with the forest are affected by the amount and makeup of the forests available. Different species are generally associated with different forest stages and types. The latest forest inventory indicates a maturing forest base in Ohio.

Several species of wildlife have shown dramatic increases that parallel the expansion of forests. In 1950, there were an estimated 15,000 deer in Ohio. By 1993, the deer population had increased to an estimated 400,000. Though not in the same sheer numbers, the turkey population increased just as dramatically. In 1950 there were no known wild turkey in Ohio, but by 1997 there were an estimated 123,000 turkey throughout many areas of the state. Though careful enforcement and wildlife management programs were instrumental in the increase, an expanding forest habitat played a key role in the change.

Preliminary results of a survey of Ohio's wetlands indicate that many of the original remaining wetlands in Ohio are forested. As wetlands are restored in the future, it is expected that many of them will be associated with or be forested wetlands.

Trees and forests are generally associated with clean air and water. Forests filter dust and other particles out the air and absorb carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide is used in tree growth, with oxygen released to the air as a byproduct. The carbon is isolated within the wood of the tree and remains there even if the tree is harvested and used to make wood products. Forests are also valued for their ability to filter and clean rain and snow, moderate stream flow, and control erosion. As Ohio's forests grow and mature, their ability to perform these functions will also expand.

New forests, whether planted or naturally occurring, are important for maintaining the overall health of Ohio's forest base. Although planting is not done extensively in Ohio, it is believed that in excess of 5,000 acres and 10 million trees are planted each year in the state. Since 1979, more than 110 million seedlings have been sold from state nurseries.

Planting is done largely to reforest pasture lands and to speed up the natural process by which farmland reverts to forest. Trees reseed themselves naturally, so it is not necessary to plant seedlings in most areas where trees have been cut. Seeds may stay alive on the forest floor for as long as seven years while they wait for optimum conditions to begin growth.