You are here: NRS Home / Research Units / Sustaining Forests in a Changing Environment / Research Focus / Sustaining Mixed Oak, Allegheny, and Northern Hardwood Forests

Sustaining Mixed Oak, Allegheny, and Northern Hardwood Forests

We will understand, quantify, and manage the factors that sustain all of the elements of these forests – focusing on trees, other plants, and wildlife communities, especially songbirds The current focus of our wildlife research is on songbirds due to staff expertise. If we are successful in adding capacity in this area during this research period, either through cooperation or recruitment of new staff, we will seek to broaden our taxonomic base. Songbirds are a particularly good indicator of climate change impacts and habitat changes. – through all stages of stand development.

Selected Research

• Oak Regeneration
  • Fire and Fire Surrogate Treatments: The Central Appalachian Plateau Site
  • Landscape-level Effects of Thinning and Burning
  • Restoration of Mixed Oak Forests in Southern Ohio with Prescribed Fire
• Regeneration of Northern and Allegheny Hardwoods
• Conserving Wildlife in Managed Forests
• Deer Impacts: Primary, Secondary (Interfering Plants), Tertiary (Faciltated Seed Predation)
• SILVAH Training Sessions and Computer Software
• Fire Effects in Eastern Forests
• Site, Stress, Nutrition, and Forest Health Interactions
• Plant Diversity in Managed Forests
• Catastrophic Wind Disturbance
• Ecosystem Management: Restoration of Mixed-oak Forests with Prescribed Fire
• Stand Density (Thinning) Studies