System Design and Management for Restoring Penn's Woods
Authors: Jenkins D.H.1; Devlin D.A.2; Johnson N.C.3; Orndorff S.P.4
Source: Journal of Forestry, Volume 102, Number 3, April/May 2004 , pp. 30-36(7)
Abstract:
Pennsylvania has embarked on establishing a half-million-acre old-growth system within its 2.1 million acres of state forest. If successful, this system will contribute to the restoration of ecological functions associated with old-growth forests that have virtually disappeared from eastern ecosystems. However, the proposed old-growth forests must be resurrected from fragmented and structurally homogenous second-growth forests that are subject to anthropogenic disturbances. In the context of these disturbances, thoughtful system design and, in many instances, application of silvicultural practices will be necessary to protect, restore, and accelerate the accumulation of old-growth attributes in Pennsylvania's forests. We explore some initial design and management considerations for creating an eastern old-growth system.Keywords: old-growth; restoration; silviculture; environmental management; forest; forest management; forest resources; forestry; forestry research; forestry science; natural resources; natural resource management
Document Type: Regular article
Affiliations: 1: Mid-Atlantic Director of Forest Conservation The Nature Conservancy 500 North Third Street, Sixth Floor Harrisburg PA 17101, Email: djenkins@tnc.org 2: Chief of Forest Resource Planning and Information, Bureau of Forestry, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Harrisburg 3: Pennsylvania Director of Conservation Programs The Nature Conservancy 500 North Third Street, Sixth Floor Harrisburg PA 17101 4: Conservation Planner The Nature Conservancy 500 North Third Street, Sixth Floor Harrisburg PA 17101
