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Development of the Selection System in Northern Hardwood Forests of the Lake States: An 80-Year Silviculture Research Legacy

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USDA Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges

Abstract

The northern hardwood research program at the Dukes Experimental Forest in Michigan and Argonne Experimental Forest in Wisconsin has been adapting to changing management and social objectives for more than 80 years. In 1926, the first northern hardwood silviculture study was established in old-growth stands at the Dukes Experimental Forest. In response to social demands for more “natural” forestry, the study included then-contemporary practices (e.g., liquidation of old-growth forest) and new approaches (e.g., partial cuttings). By 1953, the partial cutting treatments were deemed most sustainable (Eyre and Zillgitt, Partial cuttings in northern hardwoods of the Lake States: twenty-year experimental results. Technical Bulletin LS-1076, 1953), and led to the creation of an uneven-aged stand structural guide that is still widely used today: the famed “Arbogast Guide” (Marking guides for northern hardwoods under the selection system. Station Paper 56, 1957). Charismatic figures such as Raphael Zon, Windy Eyre, William Zillgitt, and Carl Arbogast Jr. were important to establishing this research and its early application in the Lake States region. Since then, research at the Dukes and Argonne Experimental Forests has expanded to evaluate a range of management alternatives for northern hardwood forests, including approaches designed to sustain biodiversity, habitat, and timber production. In addition, the long-term studies provide new opportunities for larger-scale applications and research unforeseen at the studies’ establishment. The lessons learned from the 80 years of research on northern hardwood ecosystems at the Dukes and Argonne Experimental Forests have led to numerous publications and management guides and have impacted thousands of forestry professionals and millions of hectares of land.

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Acknowledgments

The authors want to recognize Station scientists and administration (former and current) for decades of hard work and leadership. Support staff has always been critical to maintaining this unique legacy over the years. In particular, we want to acknowledge Wilho “Bill” Salimen on the Dukes EF and Gib Mattson on the Argonne EF. We thank Tom Crow for nominating this chapter for the book, Pam Jakes for assisting us with social context, and Ralph Nyland, Cynthia Moser, Tom Schmidt, and two anonymous reviewers for improving the chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 1831 Hwy 169 E, 55744, Grand Rapids, MN, USA

    Christel Kern, Gus Erdmann, Brian Palik & Terry Strong

  2. Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 686 Government Rd., 04411, Bradley, ME, USA

    Laura Kenefic

Authors
  1. Christel Kern
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  2. Gus Erdmann
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  3. Laura Kenefic
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  4. Brian Palik
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  5. Terry Strong
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christel Kern .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. USDA Forest Service, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Deborah C. Hayes

  2. Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Irvine, Pennsylvania, USA

    Susan L. Stout

  3. Northeastern Areas, USDA Forest Service, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA

    Ralph H. Crawford

  4. USDA Forest Service, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Anne P. Hoover

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Kern, C., Erdmann, G., Kenefic, L., Palik, B., Strong, T. (2014). Development of the Selection System in Northern Hardwood Forests of the Lake States: An 80-Year Silviculture Research Legacy. In: Hayes, D., Stout, S., Crawford, R., Hoover, A. (eds) USDA Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1818-4_9

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