Preferences for Northern Hardwood Silviculture among Family Forest Owners in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-28-2020

Department

College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science; Department of Social Sciences

Abstract

Managing northern hardwood forests using high-frequency, low-intensity regimes, such as single-tree selection, favors shade-tolerant species and can reduce tree species diversity. Management decisions among family forest owners (FFO) can collectively affect species and structural diversity within northern hardwood forests at regional scales. We surveyed FFOs in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan to understand likely future use of three silvicultural treatments - single-tree selection, shelterwood, and clearcut. Our results indicate that FFOs were most likely to implement single-tree selection and least likely to implement clearcut within the next 10 years. According to logistic regression, prior use of a treatment and perceived financial benefits significantly increased the odds for likely use for all three treatments. Having received professional forestry assistance increased likely use of single-tree selection but decreased likely use of shelterwood. We discuss these results within the context of species diversity among northern hardwood forests throughout the region.

Publisher's Statement

© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of American Foresters. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvaa051

Publication Title

Journal of Forestry

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