Abstract
Upland hardwood forests dominate the Appalachian landscape. However, early successional forests are limited. In WV and PA, for example, only 8 percent of the timberland is classified as seedling and sapling-sized. Typically no management occurs in these forests due to the high cost of treatment and the lack of marketable products. If bioenergy markets come to fruition, these young forests can be managed in ways that promote improved forest growth, increased wildlife habitat, and biomass feedstocks. We will demonstrate how strip thinning in young stands can simultaneously provide (1) long-term wood products (sawtimber), (2) the maintenance of early successional habitat that many wildlife species require, and (3) a woody feedstock that can be repeatedly harvested and requires no establishment costs.
Parent Publication
Citation
Schuler, Jamie; Martin, Ashlee. 2016. Strip thinning young hardwood forests: multi-functional management for wood, wildlife, and bioenergy. In:Proceedings of the 18th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-212. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 5p.
