Course Description
Silviculture is the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values of landowners and society. This course will focus on silvicultural systems and practices used on commercially important forest and stand types in the United States and worldwide. Artificial and naturally regenerated silvicultural systems will be covered. We will survey silviculture as practiced in boreal, temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Separate testing.
Athena Title
REGION SILVICULTURE
Prerequisite
FORS 4010-4010L
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The objective of this three credit hour course is to provide upper level undergraduate students and graduate students in natural resource disciplines an understanding of major commercial forest types throughout the world and the silvicultural practices employed to achieve principal landowner objectives.
Topical Outline
Silvicultural systems (Week 1) Silvicultural practices (Week 2) World biomes and forests (Week 3) - Climates, soils, forest types, species, genetic resources, markets, objectives - Determinants of species, productivity, and management objectives - World commercial forest statistics US Regional Silviculture* - South (Week 4) - Appalachian & Central Hardwoods (Week 5) - Northeast and Lake States (Week 6) - Inter-Mountain (Week 7) - Pacific Northwest & Alaska (Week 8) - Redwoods (Week 9) - Hawaii (Week 9) Non-US Regional Silviculture* - Boreal (Week 10) -- Major climates, soils, and species -- Plantations (conifers, broadleaf) -- Natural regeneration (conifers, broadleaf) - Temperate (Weeks 11-12) -- Major climates, soils, and species -- Plantations (conifers, broadleaf) -- Natural regeneration (conifers, broadleaf) - Subtropical (Week 13) -- Major climates, soils, and species -- Plantations (conifers, eucalypt, broadleaf) -- Natural regeneration (conifers, eucalypt, broadleaf) - Tropical (Weeks 14-16) -- Major climates, soils, and species -- Plantations (conifers, eucalypt, broadleaf) -- Natural regeneration (conifers, eucalypt, broadleaf) *Information on the following topics will be covered for each major region-stand type-silvicultural system combination: Objectives of management Species/site relationships Silvical properties of principal species Regeneration practices Tending practices Harvesting practices Major forest pests Biologic productivity and stand/tree quality attributes Opportunities and constraints Environmental and social factors