Testing tomorrow’s oak management today: Urban silviculture networks advancing regional management

Abstract

Forests can occur across a continuum of urban-rural land-use contexts. Forests in cities (also referred to as forest patches, urban woodlots, urban forest fragments, or urban forested natural areas) are ecologically akin to wildland forests, but located in dense, urban landscapes. Here, we examine the opportunities and constraints for managing oak forests in cities to demonstrate the value of leveraging urban forests to develop and test adaptive management strategies for oak forests. Oaks dominate eastern United States forest types but face widespread regeneration failure across the urban-rural continuum due to fire suppression, deer browse, and invasive species competition. Urban forest managers routinely employ artificial regeneration methods, primarily direct planting, whereas natural regeneration strategies are more commonplace in non-urban forest management contexts. This reliance positions urban practitioners as experts in pre-planting site preparation, post-planting care, and adaptive strategies under challenging establishment conditions. We highlight case studies from the Urban Silviculture Network, formed in 2020, that demonstrate innovative approaches to oak forest management in cities. Gap-based methods in urban settings include the Haddington Woods Density Experiment in Philadelphia, which tests planting densities and recruitment prescriptions, and the Pennypack Experimental Forest, which leverages naturally occurring gaps to overcome social constraints on cutting. Recruitment treatments in closed-canopy forests, exemplified by work in Hartford's Olmsted-designed Keney Park, enable proactive oak establishment in anticipation of disturbance events like Beech Leaf Disease. The ADAPT-OAK project tests climate adaptation through forestry assisted migration in a reciprocal transplant common garden experiment spanning four northeastern cities, evaluating the provenance performance under elevated urban temperatures that preview future rural conditions. Urban forests serve as controlled, low-risk testing grounds for tree improvement programs and climate adaptation strategies. Knowledge transfer from urban silviculture networks can inform rural management practices, bridging innovative urban approaches with traditional forestry to enhance oak forest resilience across landscapes facing rapid environmental change.

Citation

Piana, M.R.; Hallett, R.A.; D’Amico, V.; Sonti, N.F.; Trammell, T.L.E. 2026. Testing tomorrow’s oak management today: Urban silviculture networks advancing regional management. Forest Ecology and Management. 611: 123721. 8 p. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123721.