The Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) is recognized as an area of significant ecological diversity in Vermont and northern New England. The National Forest includes over 400,000 acres of mostly forested land, and includes at least 69 unique natural communities. These communities range from small emergent marsh wetlands to stately stands of hemlock; from common communities such as northern hardwood forests to rare communities such as the small alpine meadow at the summit of Mount Abraham. While much of the Forest is dominated by maturing forests of between 70-120 years old, open wetlands, rocky outcrops, and cliffs comprise about 7,000 acres, or close to 2% of the Forest. All of these natural communities are nested within 16 landscapes (for instance, mountain slopes and valley bottoms) and 5 biophysical regions (for instance, the southern Green Mountains and the Taconic Mountains) in Vermont. These natural communities, landscapes, and biophysical regions provide a wide variety of habitats for native plants and animals, some of which are rare, threatened, or endangered.

The study and management of this ecological diversity on the GMNF is divided among several program areas. The Wildlife and Fisheries Programs focus on animals and their habitats, while the Botany Program focuses on rare plants and their habitats, as well as on non-native invasive plants. The Vegetation Management Program focuses on management of woody vegetation and forest types. The Ecology Program focuses on management at the natural community and landscape levels, including the inter-relationships between plants, animals, soil, geology, and disturbances.

The mission of the Ecology Program on the GMNF is to provide ecological information, analysis, and expertise to assist land managers in making management decisions. The program does this in several ways:

• We classify, inventory, map, describe, interpret, and monitor ecological types and natural communities. This information is provided to land managers to help them understand potential impacts of land management activities on these communities. More [link to new page]
• We investigate and monitor the effects of natural disturbances and land use history on forest development and plant species distributions on the Forest. We are currently investigating the history of fire as a natural disturbance on the Forest, and searching for opportunities to reintroduce this disturbance in appropriate ecosystems. More [link to new page]
• We find, monitor, and manage rare, significant, and exemplary natural communities on the Forest. More [link to new page]

The Ecology Program benefits from partnerships with several organizations, as well as the work of many volunteers. Follow the links below to learn more about our:

• Partnerships
• Volunteer Opportunities