|
|
Sustaining Oak Forests in the 21st Century through Science-based Management
Sustaining the oak resource is of utmost concern to public and private land managers in the Central Hardwood Region of the eastern United States. Oaks are keystone species, but are threatened by natural succession, changes to disturbance regimes, urban development, and lack of critical knowledge for management. Emerging threats such as climate change, exotic invasive species, and economic stressors also pose significant problems for managers. Significant progress has been made in research of oak management since the mid-20th century. In 1992, a symposium, “Oak Regeneration: Serious Problems, Practical Recommendations” was held in Knoxville TN to synthesize the state of the knowledge on problems and opportunities associated with securing oak regeneration in oak dominated forests. In 2002, a symposium, “Upland Oak Ecology Symposium: History, Current Conditions, and Sustainability” was held in Fayetteville, AR to continue technology transfer efforts, and expanded the scope of topics to include oak decline, wildlife ecology, and forest health. This symposium will feature state-of-the-art management and research for sustainability of the oak resource in the Central Hardwood Region. The meeting will be hosted by the University of Tennessee, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries, and will include invited speakers who will address issues such as forest health, emerging economic markets, silviculture for climate change, managing for oak regeneration, and prescribed burning. A poster session will provide an opportunity for participants to showcase research. A field trip will be offered that showcases collaborative research between the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, the UT Tree Improvement Program, and the Southern Research Station. |
