Site Classification
Forest site classification is the process of assigning parcels of land to a particular category for resource management purposes.
Grouping timber stands by current species composition, such as predominantly pines or hardwoods, is a simple but useful form of classification.
Evaluation of sites for production of wood by commercial species was the earliest (dating to the 1920s) type and, as a basis for evaluating the economic feasibility of silvicultural treatments, continues to be the primary reason for site classification.
Also, resource planners require a uniform basis for inventory and assessment of land capability for a range of possible management options, particularly in consideration of possible climate change scenarios.
Forest restoration objectives require information on the likely response of species and stands to prescribed fire and mitigating effects of exotic invasive species.
Scientists within the Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management Research Work Unit 4157, along with many collaborators and partners, have developed applied methods to assess site productivity for application to forest management and restoration projects within the upland hardwood ecosystem.
Site Classification Research Topics: