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FOR 335/FOR 534

SILVICULTURESILVICULTURE

Ralph D. NylandDistinguished Service Professor - Silviculture

Department of Forest and Natural Resources ManagementSUNY College of Environmental Science

and Forestry

Syracuse, NY 13210

Welcome to …

Nyland - 2011All rights reserved

Use of all or parts of this document prohibitedwithout express consent of Ralph D. Nyland

FACULTY PARTICIPANTS …

Ralph D. Nyland-- the silvicultural system and its context-- artificial regeneration-- natural regeneration methods-- managing even- and uneven-aged stands-- other silvicultural treatments-- coppice methods

Charles A. Maynard-- forest tree improvement-- seed selection, handling, and testing-- genetic aspects of the reproduction methods

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Also …

Ashley SimpsonGraduate Assistant403 Bray Hall

- assists with field trips and lab exercises- safety officer for field trips and labs- assists with grading of reports and exams- available for consultation about reports and

other matters (Office hours TBA)

TEXT: Silviculture: Concepts and Applications

By Ralph D. Nyland2ed 2002

Waveland Press

Available at theFollett’s Orange Bookstore in Marshall Mall

… or order it online directly from waveland.comusing a credit card

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Silviculture in action …

Some getting started things …

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Class meets: M-W-F10:35-11:30 am

315 Bray Hall

Lab/field trip: Bus leavesleaves at 12:45 pmeach Wednesday

All MUSTMUST ride the bus

First lab session THIS WEEKTHIS WEEK …

… this Wednesday

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Field trips depart here

Attendance REQUIREDREQUIRED at all labs …

• A lab absence means no grade for an exercise with a graded lab report (NO GRADE = 0)

• For missed labs that have no report, you get a

2% DEDUCTION

… from your final semester average

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For ALLALL silviculture labs bring …

• Hard hat, long pants, and boots that protect your ankles(REQUIRED by the Department of Forest and Natural

Resources Management)

• Clipboard and paper

• Pencils

• Ruler in 1/10-inch graduations (for use as needed)

• Hand compass

… we will tell you of other needs as they arise for specific fields sessions

You never know …

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LAB REPORTS

• Submit lab reports at the date specified in each labassignment

... often one week after the we do the field trip

• Type lab reports... using a word processing program of your choice

• Print your reports, and submit them at the beginningat the beginningof class on the designated day

For graphs and figures you may use a pencil for the drawing …

... but typetype the titles and legends… and try a spreadsheet plotting routine to learn the method

AND EDIT CAREFULLY …

... check spelling and grammar.... especially confirm that you use complete sentences

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And make them of professionalprofessional quality …

…… a factor in evaluating and assigning a factor in evaluating and assigning the grade for a reportthe grade for a report

And as my mother-in law frequentlyreminded me …

… when all else fails, read the instructions

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… and don’t forget it

Most problems with lab reports

come from NOTNOT completingcompleting theentire assignment …

… doing only part of theassigned task

So read the instructionsSo read the instructionsand study the requirements and study the requirements ……

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A text quiz for each reading assignment …

… submit one each class meetingBEFOREBEFORE class begins

Questions about these details?

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My job …

- create an environment for YOURYOUR studyof silviculture

- facilitate your learning by sharing oneperspective developed through study and experience

Consider the objectives …

… with your active involvement

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Help YOU to develop some professional experience …

– through serious work

– requiring serious preparation

– to satisfy a professional standard

… to function individually

… or in a group

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Expected outcomes for YOUYOU …

•• PROFICIENT USEPROFICIENT USE of technical language

•• CONCEPTUAL APPRECIATIONCONCEPTUAL APPRECIATION of the theory that underlies silviculture

•• FUNCTIONAL ABILITYFUNCTIONAL ABILITY with stand assessment and beginning prescription making

• That YOU understand the responses YOUcan cause by a treatment

• That YOU learn to anticipate …

– the kind of changes that YOU can evoke

– the ways YOU can influence the magnitudeof those changes

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The Dictionary of ForestryThe Dictionary of Forestry

… our final source for anydefinition of terms usedin FOR 334 / 534

… you can find it in thereferences section ofMoon Library

Or order a personal copy from

Society of American Foresters …

… check their web site for details

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To help you study silviculturesilviculture …

… before each class session you will receivea set of notes that summarize the topicof the day

Background reading:

Chapter 1, in Nyland, R.D. 2002. Silviculture: Concepts and Applications.Waveland Press, Long Grove, IL 2ed.

Sources cited:

Berglund, J.V. 1975. Silvics. SUNY. Coll. Environ. Sci. and For., Syracuse NY.

Hummell, S.S. 2006. Seeing the bigger picture: Landscape silviculture mayOffer comparable solutions to conflicting objectives. US For. Serv., Pacific NW Res. Stn., Science Findings 85.

Urban, D.L., R.V. O’Neill, and H.H. Shugart. 1987. Landscape ecology: A hierarcial perspective can help scientists understand spatial patterns. Biosci. 37(2):119-127.

Each set of lecture notes ends with citations for yourEach set of lecture notes ends with citations for yourreference, and to identify sources for ideas and diagrams reference, and to identify sources for ideas and diagrams ……

… the day’s readingassignment

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Questions and comments …

So consider silviculture …

… done by silviculturists

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Under appropriate silviculture, forests of all kinds providemany values that help to sustain our lives

My philosophy My philosophy ……

The methods for establishing and maintaining healthy communities of trees and other vegetation …

… that have value to peoplethat have value to people

Silviculture

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… to serve their objectives

F. Nyland 2000

Silviculture deals with STANDSSTANDS ...

... communities or groups of trees growing together at a particular place and that foresters can manage as a unit

... communities of trees and other vegetation having some unique vegetal characteristic that landowners can maintain by a particular set of treatments

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Stands …

… occupy a specific space

… like this

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… the unit of land for on-the-site management

SILVICULTURE …

In the context of ecosystem management …

… creating, maintaining, and restoring desirable ecosystem conditions

… using stand-level treatments to sustain criticalconditions at a landscape scale

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at least one level beyond

In this context …

Hummel (2006) calls this …

… LANDSCAPE SILVICULTURELANDSCAPE SILVICULTURE

... developing prescriptions for individual stands, but evaluating them collectively based onobjectives for the landscape as a whole

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Temple u.d.

… stands … within forests … within landscapes

- Forested ecosystems have value because peopledemand goods and services from them …

… and because forests provide essential ecologicfunctions

--We can enhance and better realize many of those valuesWe can enhance and better realize many of those valuesthrough some kind of managementthrough some kind of management

A basic premise of forestry …

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So ultimately, a treatment must serve landowner objectives ...

- Institutional

- Social

- Financial

.... the three factors of concern in economicseconomics

F. Nyland 2000

… because they own the land… and pay the costs

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At the same time any management MUSTMUST maintain or enhance …

… LONGLONG--TERMTERM ecosystem productivity

With no irreversible change likely to occur IF wIF we insure …

-- Trees after treesTrees after trees-- Stable soilsStable soils-- Protected landformsProtected landforms

(e.g., the drainages)

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… at appropriate spatial scales

Silviculture draws upon managerial, social, financial, ecologic,

and other scientific understandingto formulate prescriptions for STANDSTAND treatments

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Silviculture

Silvics

Quantitativemethods

Economics(Financial, institutional

and social)

Planning and administration

FOREST RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

After Berglund 1975

… like thisSee Figure 1-1

…to insure a positive outcome

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SILVICULTURE

The ARTART of producing and tending forest stands …

…by applying scientifically acquired knowledge

… to CONTROLCONTROL stand establishment, composition, and growth

ARTART means using judgment and common sense …

… to identify treatments that satisfy alandowner’s interests

… and find a reasonable way to apply the treatments

To make the forest more usefulTo make the forest more useful …

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…including non-traditional benefits

SILVICULTURE …

… does NOTNOT operate by recipe

In essence …

… silviculture is a process of

PROBLEM SOLVINGPROBLEM SOLVING

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Silviculture happens …

…… between your ears between your ears

A DELIBERATEDELIBERATE and

DELIBERATEDDELIBERATED process ….

In response to a landowner’s interests …

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… to make forestssustainable throughthe long run

So always start by asking what seems appropriate …

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THE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS:

1. Determine the landowner’s objectives

2. Evaluate existing stand conditions

3. Identify the options

4. Quantify the likely outcome of each one

5. Drop unsuitable options

6. Explain the viable alternatives

7. Help the landowner decide

8. Implement the prescription

9. Evaluate the resultsNyland 2002

… for a desirable outcome

Between your ears …

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… the rest will follow from your thoughtfulness

Learn the objectives …

R.D. NylandAlways searching …

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Background reading:

Chapter 1, in Nyland, R.D. 2002. Silviculture: Concepts and Applications.Waveland Press. Long Grove, IL 2ed.

Sources cited:

Berglund, J.V. 1975. Silvics. SUNY Coll. Environ. Sci., and For., Syracuse, NY.

Ford-Robertson, F.C. (Ed.). 1971, Terminology of Forest Science, Technology, Practice and Products. Multi-lingual For. Terminol. Ser. No. 1, Soc. Am. For. Wash., DC.

Helms, J.A. 1998. The Dictionary of Forestry. Soc. Am. For. Bethesda, MD.

Hummel, S.S. 2006. Seeing the bigger picture: Landscape silviculture may offer comparable solutions to conflicting objectives. US For. Serv., Pacific NW Res. Stn., Science Findings 85.

Urban, D.L., R.V. O’Neill, and H.H. Shugart. 1987. Landscape ecology: A hierarcial perspective can help scientistsunderstand spatial patterns. Biosci. 37(2):119-127.