Regenerating Oak on Dry Sites in Central Hardwood Forests with Shelterwood Harvest and One Prescribed Burn

Jenna Zukswert; John M. Kabrick; Daniel C. C. Dey

Treesearch

Regenerating Oak on Dry Sites in Central Hardwood Forests with Shelterwood Harvest and One Prescribed Burn

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Jenna Zukswert, John M. Kabrick, Daniel C. C. Dey

Year:

2025

Type:

Other

Station:

Northern Research Station

Source:

FS; Rooted in Research

Download (PDF 9.88 MB)

Download (PDF 9.88 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/69337.pdf

Abstract

Valued for timber and wildlife, oaks (Quercus spp.) face many regeneration challenges in the eastern United States. Decades of fire suppression have produced favorable conditions for tree species that grow well in humid climates, such as maples, and less favorable conditions for species that thrive under drier conditions, such as oaks. The Hoosier National Forest in southern Indiana noticed a lack of oak advance regeneration in the 2010s, when long-term research showed that clearcut harvests performed in the 1980s, which were intended to regenerate oak, were now more dominated by red maple, tulip tree, poplar, and black cherry.

Keywords

silviculture, oak regeneration, prescribed fire, shelterwood

Citation

Zukswert, Jenna; Kabrick, John; Dey, Daniel. 2025. Regenerating Oak on Dry Sites in Central Hardwood Forests with Shelterwood Harvest and One Prescribed Burn. Rooted in Research Issue 50, June 2025. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 2 p.