1st Edition
Managing Oak Forests in the Eastern United States
Background and Biology: Setting the Stage
The mighty oak: Why do we manage oaks?
History of eastern oak forests
Description and distribution of oak forests across the eastern United States
Oak forests’ value to wildlife
Silvics of oaks: Their biology and ecology
Oak regeneration challenges
Silviculture: What Is in the Tool Box?
Regenerating oak stands the "natural" way
Artificial regeneration
Fire in the oak woods: Good or bad?
Competition control for managing oak forests
Intermediate treatments
Managing Oaks: How Do I Make It Work for Me?
Where am I?
What are my management objectives?
How do I manage upland oaks?
How do I manage for woodlands and savannahs?
Managing bottomland oaks
Managing deer impacts on oak forests
How do I get started?
Biography
Patrick Keyser, PhD, is professor and director for the Center for Native Grasslands Management at the University of Tennessee (UT), Knoxville, where he has been since 2006. Prior to UT, Dr. Keyser was a senior wildlife biologist for MeadWestvaco, a global forest products company, and was based out of West Virginia. He also worked as a biologist for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. In all of these roles, Dr. Keyser has been actively engaged in forest management, forest and wildlife research, and working with various forest landowners (private, state, federal, and industry) to improve productivity and sustainability.
Todd Fearer, PhD, joined the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) in 2010 as the science coordinator, and became coordinator in 2012. Prior to working with the AMJV, he was an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas’ School of Forest Resources. He received his BS in wildlife and fisheries science with minors in forest science and international agriculture from Penn State University. He then went on to obtain both his MS and PhD in wildlife science from Virginia Tech, conducting research as part of the Appalachian Cooperative Grouse Research Project and evaluating population–habitat relationships of forest breeding birds at multiple spatial and temporal scales, respectively.
Craig A. Harper, PhD, is a professor of wildlife management and the extension wildlife specialist at the University of Tennessee, where he develops wildlife management programs for UT Extension and assists natural resource professionals with issues concerning land management for wildlife across the eastern United States. Dr. Harper maintains an active research program that specializes in upland habitat management, including the effects of silviculture, prescribed fire, and herbicide applications on habitat for various wildlife species. Dr. Harper is a Certified Wildlife Biologist® and a Certified Prescribed Fire Manager.
