Silviculture is part of the core coursework for all forestry majors. During this course, students learn about intensive and extensive silviculture across the southeast, focusing on both pine and hardwood ecosystems.
This course consists of a lecture and lab. In lecture, students learn theories of applied silviculture. They explore case studies accompanied by outside readings to develop the skills to apply the concepts of stand dynamics to real-world forest management scenarios. Lab gives students the opportunity to see silvicultural systems implemented in the field and the effects they have on stand structure. Students are introduced to the array of technologies utilized in modern intensive pine plantation silviculture, including clonal seedlings, herbicide, and fertilizer application. They are also exposed to the challenges facing foresters employing bottomland hardwood silvicultural systems for restoration, timber production, or other uses.
Students study a variety of topics related to silviculture, including stand dynamics, even and uneven-aged management, intensive and extensive silviculture, regeneration methods, and thinning. Upon completion of this course, students have a broad understanding of the factors affecting the growth and development of forests in East Texas and the ways in which silviculture may be used to manipulate these factors.