UGA Bulletin

Course Description

Theory and techniques of controlling regeneration, density, species composition, health, and quality of forest stands. Treatments studied include seeding and planting of tree species; thinning and regeneration cuts; and appropriate use of fire, pesticides, and fertilizers.

Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will prepare 2 to 3-page critiques of four articles representing different aspects of silviculture.

Athena Title

Silviculture

Undergraduate Prerequisite

[(FANR 3000 and FANR 3000L) or (FORS 4050/6050 and FORS 4050L/6050L) or (WILD 4110/6110 and WILD 4110L/6110L)] and [(FANR 3200W and FANR 3200L) or (ECOL 3500 and ECOL 3500L) or (ECOL 3505H and ECOL 3505L)]

Graduate Prerequisite

Semester Course Offered

Offered fall

Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

Student learning Outcomes

Students will learn the foundations of historical land use, forest establishment, and forest growth and their impact on current land use trends.
Students will learn to apply concepts from intermediate treatments, regeneration systems, and forest health and protection to produce timber and non-timber outputs in even-aged and uneven-aged systems.
Students will learn concepts to manage pine plantations, including chemical and mechanical site preparation techniques, competition control, nutrient management, and planting techniques.
Students will learn concepts and quantitative approaches to resource management, focused on silvicultural practices in the southeastern United States.
Students will gain experience in using fundamental concepts learned in class to create a silviculture prescription for planted and natural stands.

Topical Outline

Week 1: Introduction, History of the Southern Forest, Species-Site Relationships
Week 2: Stand Structure and Development, Density and Stocking
Week 3: Introduction to Silvicultural Systems
Week 4: Even-aged Systems – Clearcut Method
Week 5: Artificial Regeneration - Nursery and Greenhouse Operations
Week 6: Plantation Management - Site Preparation, planting, weed control, fertilizing
Week 7: Intensive Management
Week 8: Even-aged Systems – Seed Tree Method, Shelterwood Method
Week 9: Silviculture and Water Resources
Week 10: Silviculture and Biodiversity
Week 11: Uneven-aged Systems – Single Tree Selection, Group Selection
Week 12: Thinning, Tree Quality, Wood Quality
Week 13: Improvement, Sanitation, Salvage Cuttings, Release Cuttings
Week 14: Forest Protection, Prescribed Fire, Pinestraw Management
Week 15: Agroforestry, Wildlife and Recreation

Syllabus

Public CV

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