Newly Revised Northeastern Forest Regeneration Handbook

The revised (2013) edition of the Northeastern Forest Regeneration Handbook published by the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry has now been posted online.  In the face of higher deer populations, increasing numbers of competing and invasive plants, and poorly implemented cutting practices I thought I would share this resource with my readers.  The Northeastern Forest Regeneration Handbook is an excellent resource for forest managers and landowners

The handbook helps forest practitioners develop an appreciation of how northeastern forests regenerate and develop over time.  This includes the important role that disturbance plays in forest development.  The information provided in the handbook will help landowners, land use decision makers, and professional foresters make informed decisions about forest regeneration options tailored to management objectives.

The handbook is divided into five sections:

1. Northeastern Forests - Yesterday and Today - provides a context for the issues surrounding the natural regeneration of our forests.

2. Environmental Factors - explains basic concepts in forest regeneration, including the importance of different combinations of light, moisture, and soil in determining its success or failure.

3. Disturbance - The Agent of Change - examines the role of disturbance in maintaining habitat and species diversity.

4. Forest Management for Regeneration - introduces different methods (prescriptions) of forest management and discusses the influence of each management style on the availability of light, moisture, and growing space for new regeneration.

5. Species Regeneration Notes - details requirements to successfully regenerate specific species,

oak, maple, white pine, birch, American beech, and spruce are covered.

This resource should be bookmarked on everyone's computers or better yet printed and readily accessible on your desk.