SilviCast

Beavers are often seen as a nuisance, but what if they're actually some of nature's most effective forest managers? In this episode of SilviCast , we welcome renowned ecohydrologist Dr. Emily Fairfax to explore the surprising role of beavers as ecosystem engineers. Learn how beaver-created wetlands improve water storage, reduce wildfire risk, enhance biodiversity, store carbon, and influ...

 What tree begins life looking more like a tuft of grass, survives repeated fires for years on the forest floor, and then suddenly bolts toward the canopy in a remarkable growth spurt? The longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) is one of the most unique and ecologically important tree species in North America. Once dominating the coastal plains of the southeastern United States, longleaf pine forests h...

Good silviculture isn’t just about knowing the science—it’s about building strong partnerships. One of the most critical relationships in forestry is the collaboration between foresters and loggers. Successfully marking a timber sale, for instance, means understanding not only the forest but also the equipment and capabilities that will bring the prescription to life. In this episode of SilviCast,...

Managing forests for carbon—and navigating emerging carbon markets—can feel overwhelming, especially for family forest owners managing smaller parcels. So how can landowners with just a couple forty-acre parcels participate in these opportunities? And what does carbon-enhanced silviculture actually look like at that scale? In this episode of SilviCast , we sit down with Brittany VanderWall, Lynn R...

 Many of us in forestry remember the spotted owl controversy of the 1980s — a pivotal moment that put old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest in the national spotlight. But what’s less often told is how that same moment sparked a wave of old-growth research here in the Lake States, launching more than three decades of work to better understand how old-growth northern hardwood forests differ fr...

Foresters know degraded forests all too well. You’re out on a woods-walk with an enthusiastic landowner, but your eyes go straight to the poor growing stock, invasive plants, and eroded forest soils – the fingerprints of past degradation. Regardless, you set about the complex task of developing a prescription that will nudge this forest towards a brighter future. Foresters don’t always think of th...

A dead tree is not truly dead. As trees die, they become snags, downed logs, and eventually return to the soil as organic matter. Along this journey, they host a wide range of organisms and play essential roles in forest ecosystems. How foresters think about and manage dead trees can be just as important as how they manage living ones. In this episode of SilviCast , we explore the concept of morti...

Sometime the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. It is true of relationships, and it is true of forests. In this episode, we talk with author Ethan Tapper about his new book, How to Love a Forest . A Vermont Forester, Ethan dives deep with us into what it means to love a forest as a landowner and a forester, and to work with those who may not see the potential in restoring their forest...

The legacy of the “cutover” has left much of the Lake States—and many other regions—with a dominance of even-aged forest stands. Today, both landowners and foresters increasingly consider converting these stands to uneven-aged management to achieve a range of ecological, economic, and aesthetic goals. However, the outcomes of these efforts—even after multiple stand entries—have sometimes fallen sh...

Restoring and reforesting floodplain forests is no small feat—these ecosystems are as fascinating as they are complex. While they face many of the same disturbances as upland forests, bottomland ecosystems are uniquely shaped by water. Adding to this challenge of hydrology are the profound impacts of levies, agriculture, dams, and other disturbances. In this episode of SilviCast , we dive deep int...

Sometimes, a simple “silvicultural tweak” can make a big difference in achieving diverse forest management goals. The real challenge lies in knowing when—and how—to make those adjustments. To help with that, several states have created Forestry for the Birds guidebooks, offering practical strategies to enhance forest habitat for birds. In this episode of SilviCast , we’re joined by Christian Nelso...

Eastern black walnut holds an almost legendary reputation as one of the most valuable timber species in central and eastern North America. A single, high-quality tree can fetch thousands of dollars—sometimes even influencing the outcome of an entire timber sale. With that level of interest, you’d think we’ve uncovered everything there is to know about this remarkable species. And while researchers...

Foresters are pretty good at stand-level silviculture. But what if we want to make changes to forest vegetation at a much larger scale? Silviculture at scale to impact landscape-level change is much trickier, whether that’s aiming for a target age-class distribution or meeting the broad habitat needs of birds. Where do we even begin?  In walks the concept of Dynamic Forest Restoration Blocks , or...

Garlic mustard blooms, panic ensues! Many foresters in the eastern hardwood forests of North America can appreciate this sentiment as they see yet another invasive plant, garlic mustard, colonize their woodlands and forests. Maybe they just make note of it on the inventory or maybe they prescribe an aggressive treatment plan of pulling and herbicides. But maybe there is a different approach… time....

Buckthorn has been the bane of many foresters and forest landowners throughout eastern North America. This long-lived, woody plant is capable of forming dense thickets, degrading native understory plant communities and impeding tree regeneration. While herbicide control measures can be effective, managers have struggled for long-term control of this prolific plant. Join for this episode of SilviCa...

It’s hard to turn around these days without seeing or reading something about UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Drones are becoming an increasingly important tool in many fields, including within the practice of silviculture. On this episode of SilviCast we explore the soaring use of drones for site preparation and release treatments. Join us for a conversation with Rick Hill, Regional Silvicultur...

Foresters are increasingly aware of the importance of prescribed fire as a silvicultural tool in the maintenance and management of fire-adapted forest ecosystems.  At the same time concerns remain over the impact of those fires on the timber resource. Join us for a conversation with Mike Saunders, Professor of Silviculture in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University, a...

German foresters sometimes named silvicultural systems after the region where the treatment was developed and practiced. So it is with the Acadian femelschlag , a locally developed gap-based system designed to restore species diversity and structure to the mixedwood Acadian forests of Maine and eastern Canada. Join us on this episode of SilviCast as we talk with Robert Seymour, Curtis Hutchins Pro...

Foresters need to make decisions every day, and sometimes difficult decisions as we attempt to understand and address the diverse needs of the land, the landowner, and others. Similar to marking a tree, these decisions often require us to walk all the way around to see an issue from all sides. Join us on this season 5 finale of SilviCast as we talk with Marianne Patinelli-Dubay, Environmental Phil...

We’ve all seen it in the field… Aldo Leopold alluded to it… parts of a forest ecosystem are missing or changed. Now the forest doesn’t respond the same to silvicultural treatments that worked in the past. The forest is less predictable. In other words, the forest has lost memory, specifically ecological memory. Join us on this episode of SilviCast as we explore the concept of ecological memory wit...

The paint gun is a basic tool of the forestry trade. But what happens when we’re two forties into the woods and our paint gun goes down? This can put a major clog in our day. Maybe the problem with our paint gun is us? Join us on this episode of SilviCast as we talk with three experts in the field about Trecoder, Panama, and Nel-Spot paint guns. Ethan Tapper with Bear Island Forestry, John Freeman...

Most of us enjoying a little on-the-job foraging… some blackberries here, some morels there. But how often do we think about intentionally managing non-timber forest products?  Forest farming is an agroforestry practice than involves the intentional stewardship of edible, medicinal, and decorative crops beneath a forest canopy. Join us as we discuss the integration of forest farming and silvicultu...

If you are a forest practitioner in the eastern forests of North America (and maybe elsewhere) at one time or another you have likely been frustrated by white-tailed deer. Browse impacts on forest vegetation are significant and long-lasting, but those impacts are not the same everywhere making deer browse a challenging issue to both understand and address. Join us on this episode of SilviCast as w...

 It’s an all too familiar scenario to foresters…a new pest is introduced into another part of the range and slowly works its way to a forest near you. So it goes with the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) that was introduced into eastern North America over 70 years ago. HWA has not yet arrived in Wisconsin, but can we learn from the research and field experience of our colleagues in the east? Are there...

If foresters have a super-power, it might just be the power of observation. They notice change in the forest and correlate facts that would otherwise be isolated and missed. As a result, foresters have the unique ability to adapt and find management solutions in a changing environment. In this episode of SilviCast we will explore an example in Iowa of changing environmental conditions and the cumu...