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Silviculture

Silviculture is the art and science of tending forests to meet human needs. It is at the core of forest resource management, because it is required to address nearly every forest management objective associated with biodiversity, sustainability, product output, wildlife habitat, soil and water conservation, aesthetics, carbon sequestration, climate mitigation, wildfire and prescribed fire, insects, disease, and invasive species. Silviculture integrates information from many affiliated disciplines and puts it into practice in forest ecosystems. The focus of silviculture has evolved from an original emphasis on timber production to consideration of the broad range of products, amenities, and ecosystem services we now expect from forests. Following are current areas of research emphasis by the Central Hardwoods unit.

Selected Research Summaries

Silviculture

• Sustaining central hardwood forests
• Mitigating damage from oak decline, invasive species, and other insect and disease pests
• The ecology and silviculture of oaks
• Linking Wood Stake Decomposition in the Forest Floor and Mineral Soil with Soil Productivity in the Northern Research Station

Forest Restoration

• Evaluating Restoration and Reconstruction Techniques in Missouri Prairie, Savanna, and Woodland
• Goats, Fire, and Woodlands
• Restoring forests in bottomland fields
• Ecology and silviculture for restoration of shortleaf pine
• Role of fire in restoration of woodlands and savannas

Forest Management

• The PHiLL Project: Creating Pollinator Habitat in Log Landings
• Biomass for energy production
• Agroforestry practices for biodiversity conservation
• Long-term effects on soil productivity
• Intensive management of hardwood plantings