Additional Resources: Managing Important Forest Types

Online Resources

Managing specific forest types

• Silvics of North America: Volume 1 Conifers; Volume 2 Hardwoods (USDA Ag Handbook 654 by Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala). This document has a chapter on every significant native tree species in North America, including its native range, climate, soil and topography, associated species, reproduction and early growth, stand management, growth and yield, rooting habitat, reaction to competition, damaging agents, special uses, and genetics.
• Red Pine Management Guide (USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station and University of Minnesota). This very comprehensive guide to managing red pine (a.k.a. Norway pine), includes its ecology, silviculture, forest health, economics, and management examples.
• Woodland Owners’ Guide to Oak Management (University of Minnesota Extension by Baughman, M. J. and R. D. Jacobs). These guidelines apply mainly to woodlands in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, Northeastern Iowa, Northwestern Illinois. It covers regeneration, site quality, shade tolerance, tree size at harvest time, natural regeneration techniques, artificial regeneration techniques, improving stands for timber, managing for wildlife, protecting soil and water quality, aesthetic considerations, and pest management.
• Silviculture Handbook (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources). This document covers ecological tools, silvicultural methods (natural regeneration, artificial regeneration, intermediate treatments, management recommendations for cover types, big tree silviculture, and forest aesthetics.
• Managing Ash Woodlands: Recommendations for Minnesota Woodland Owners (University of Minnesota Extension). This document provides ash management recommendations for private woodland owners in Minnesota. After the emerald ash borer (EAB) was found in Minnesota in 2009, the University of Minnesota Extension and the MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR) quickly recognized the need to offer practical and timely ash management recommendations for woodland owners. This document synthesizes expert woodland recommendations presented in previous publications in addition to scientific results from on-the-ground research studies.
• Managing Black Walnut (Presentation slides by Baughman, M and L. Farlee). These slides discuss growing black walnut trees in natural stands and plantations for timber, nuts, and agroforestry. It offers practical advice about uses of walnut wood, nuts, and byproducts; where walnut grows best; designing plantations; site preparation and weed control; planting nuts and seedlings; thinning stands; pruning; and pest management.

Identifying Trees

• Minnesota Trees (University of Minnesota Extension). This book provides descriptions and black and white drawings for dozens of trees commonly found in Minnesota to aid their identification.
• Tree Identification (Virginia Tech). This website provides a dichotomous key with text and color photos that help you sort through tree size, leaf, bud, and twig characteristics to identify most tree species in North America.
• Wisconsin Tree Identification (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources). This website provides a beginners tree key and more advanced tree keys for certain genera of trees. It offers black and white drawings that help you sort through leaf shapes and branching patterns to identify common tree species in Wisconsin.
• Identifying Trees of Michigan (Michigan State University Extension). This website provides a dichotomous key with drawings to identify common tree species in Michigan.
• iNaturalist (Website and app). A website and app for recording observations of plants and animals. Includes a crowdsourcing feature that can connect your observations with other experts, helping you in tree identification.