Project Listing

Science Spotlights

For the latest on current CFRU projects, go to the Science Spotlights listed below.

New		Cool and Clear: CFRU Studies Water Quality in the Maine Woods
		CFRU: Understanding Tomorrow's Forests Today

Current Projects

Preserving Water Quality

Understanding the influences of forest practices on water quality

Effect of Buffer and Filter Strips on Water Quality and Aquatic Biodiversity

Given the prevalence in the Maine Woods of all types of bodies of water, chief among the environmental concerns associated with industrial forest management is the protection of the myriad lakes, rivers, and streams that make the Maine Woods one of the "wettest" forests in the country. Buffer strips, which are areas along both banks of a stream in which timber cannot be harvested, are the easiest way to protect a stream from a variety of undesirable environmental impacts. Buffer strips, however, can be costly to timberland owners because timber left standing in a buffer represents lost revenue. Consequently, while foresters are generally required by state regulations to retain forested buffer strips, forest managers are interested in knowing what buffer width effectively protects the full range of environment values of a stream so that the cost of maintaining those values is minimized.

In association with researchers from the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, the CFRU has been conducting studies along several Maine streams to determine the impact of a range of forest harvest techniques on water quality, water temperature, and the wildlife and ecological values associated with each. The goal is to provide forest managers with the best information possible so that they can manage timber harvesting around water bodies in a manner that is as efficient as possible at the same time as it protects critical ecological values. Read more