New Research

Regional Oak Study (ROS)

Installation and pretreatment data collection started this past spring 2008 on a new research project. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of three silvicultural treatments on oak regeneration, plant diversity, wildlife habitat quality, and wildlife populations (birds, bats, small mammals, and herpetofauna) within and among physiographic regions of the Central Hardwood Region as well as across sites of diverse productivity. Locations involved in this study include the Southern Appalachians in North Carolina , Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee and Ozark Highlands in Missouri . The study will be longterm and consists of 120 plots covering 250 acres in each of the three locations. Results from this study will aid in the development of guidelines for sustainable oak ecosystem management and restoration within and across the upland hardwood ecosystem, and help ensure that these forests continue to provide valuable economic and ecological services. To learn more about the study please contact:

Tara Keyser for the Southern Appalachian, Callie Schweitzer for the Cumberland Plateau, Dan Dey for the Missouri Plateau, and Marty Spetich for the Boston Mountains.