Managing your woodland: forestry research translated for landowners

Abstract

A long-term study of forest management, like the one established in the 1950s by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service at the Penobscot Experimental Forest in Maine, provides a unique opportunity for landowners to learn about different approaches to management and their outcomes. After more than 70 years of research at the Penobscot Experimental Forest, it has become apparent that the management approaches applied have changed the species composition, tree quality, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, productivity, and financial value of the forest. The side-by-side comparisons included in the long-term experiment provide photos and data that clearly demonstrate the outcomes of uneven-aged and even-aged silviculture and exploitive harvesting. This guide provides background information about forest ecology and silviculture (the science and art of managing forests for the outcomes we want) for landowners and others who are not forestry experts, then explains several types of management and the benefits and challenges associated with each. Finally, additional resources are provided to help landowners move forward and make informed decisions about the future of their woodlands.

Citation

Granstrom, Maren; Kenefic, Laura S.; Crandall, Mindy S.; Stockwell, Sally; Giffen, R. Alec; Rogers, Nicole S. 2025. Managing your woodland: forestry research translated for landowners. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-228. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 47 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-228.