This virtual tour of forest restoration completed at the Pritzlaff Ranch in northern New Mexico is intended to create a visual example of desired conditions in forest restoration.
What should a forest look like after a restoration project? In an age of increasing threats to the health and productivity of ecosystems, restoration and maintenance of ecosystem function and resilience should be an integral part of forest management plans. Desired conditions include attributes and characteristics that comprise structure, function, and composition of resilient systems while providing services that benefit both people and nature. One common result of restoration protocols, especially in southwestern ponderosa pine, is a residual stand with grouped trees and much more grass on the forest floor.
This Story Map highlights three different examples of the role restoration plays in achieving desired conditions, each developed with different emphases: remnant-based structural restoration, northern goshawk habitat, and genetics.
