Why is the conservation of native forest plants and animals and their habitats important?
Oregonians value native forest plants and animals for the economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational, and aesthetic values that they provide. Maintaining healthy forest habitat and healthy native plant and animal communities is essential to economic vitality and environmental quality of life. In addition, the federal Endangered Species Act and other federal and state regulations require biological resource issues to be addressed. Human activities can reduce, maintain, or enhance biological diversity. Both natural disturbances and human actions can affect biological diversity and need to be considered collectively to assess whether native plant and animal populations and their habitats are being adequately protected, maintained, and enhanced in Oregon’s forests. What characteristics of Oregon’s forests affect native plants and animals and their habitats? Stand age and structural composition are key forest characteristics that affect biological diversity. Since some plants
