Welcome to FORS 4020: Silviculture
~ The Art and science of sustainably managing forests and woodlands ~
Image: A leave tree mark in a mixed conifer project associated with the adaptive silviculture for climate change (ASCC) network. These sites are trying to understand how silviculture can resist, enhance resilience, or embrace transitions in forest structure given climate change.
This course is taught for credit at New Mexico Highlands University within the department of forestry! Please enjoy the materials if your are not a student in the class, and consider enrolling if you are interested in furthering your career in forestry.
Welcome to FORS 4020 – Silviculture. Silviculture is a dynamic discipline that is an art and a science rooted in resource management.
This course will cover basic silviculture concepts and applications and consider critiques of silviculture as well as adaptations of silviculture to the modern era.
This website contains links to recorded lectures, readings, and assignments for the class. If you are enrolled in this class at New Mexico Highlands University please refer to your course page and the posted syllabus for due dates and deadlines.
Syllabus:
The paper syllabus with complete campus resources is available here ~
Course Information
Course Number:
Course Name:
Lecture Meeting Time:
Lecture Meeting Place:
Course Instructor:
Office Location:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Zoom Information:
FORS 4020
Silviculture
Tuesday, Thursday:
11:30am-12:45pm
IHS 271A
505-454-3320
IHS 135
Michael Remke
Zoom Room; Password: Trees
Student Hours:
Monday: 10:00am-12:00pm coffee hour
Tuesday: 2:00pm-4:00pm seltzer hour
Wednesday: 11:00am-1:00pm lunch hour
Student hours are times when my office is open for drop in conversation regartding course work or anything else forestry, tree, ecology, or life related. These times can be accessed via the Zoom link here
Zoom office hours : Zoom Room
If the listed student hour times do not align with your schedule and needs, please use the below QR code to schedule an alternative meeting time. Please be flexible with this tool as my schedule may not allow the time you choose.
To submit an anonymous question or comment, use the QR code below - I will respond to questions and commets to the whole class
Books and Readings:
While no books are required for this class; the textbooks photographed to the right of this text inspire material for lecture and selected readings from these books are provided as .pdfs.
I highly encourage students to consider these books for their own personal forestry library.
In addition many selected peer-reviewed books are provided in the readings and assignments section.
Learning Goals:
1. Mastery of content knowledge
2. Critical and reflective thinking skills
3. Ability to communicate effectively
4. Ability to use technology
1. Understand interdisciplinarity of foresty
2. Critically think about how to sustain ecosystems for multiple objectives
3. Understand the values offered by participants, landowners, communities, society, and the ecosphere
4. Demonstrate an understanding of both scientific and traditional ecological knowledge systems
5. Demonstrate professional and ethical behavoirs and be able to critically think regrading ethics from diverse viewpoints
6. Understand the value of diverse people, perspectives, and practives
This course will focus on the understanding of tools, approaches, and concepts of silviculture within the context of social-ecological systems and a changing world. The below knowledge and skills are foundational to the learning goals of Silviculture
NMHU Learning Goals:
Society of American Foresters Learning Goals:
Course Learning Objectives:
Knowledge:
Skills:
1. Knowledge of forest ecology and its implications for stand dynamics
2. Awareness of stages of silviculture and where silviculture fits into the profession of forestry
3. Understanding of harvesting and regeneration techniques and the relationship of these tools to stand dynamics
4. Knowledge of harvesting equipment and best management practices in harvesting practices
5. Understanding of the interconnection of policy, ecology, and economy to connect concepts to actions
1. Ability to identify trees in adult and seedling form
2. Understanding of applying concepts in stand dynamics to acheive management goals or values
3. Ability to select and use the correct tools to maintain values, especially given complex social systems
4. Ability to apply best management practices to harvesting techniques and incorporate inventory and monitoring into management plans
5. Ability to set objectives, describe current conditions, and develop treatment alternatives
Readings and Assignments:
Click these icons to access assignments
Click these icons to access readings
Click these icons to access lecture slides
All readings are due the day they are listed. All worksheets from class are due at the beginning of the next class - so if a worksheet is posted for Thursday, it is due on Tuesday
Week
Day
Date
Topic
Readings and Assignments Due In Class
Week
One
Tuesday
1/16
Thursday
1/18
Course Overview
Defining Silviculture
No reading due
Reading:
What does it mean to be a Silviculturist
Week
Two
Tuesday
1/23
Stand Dynamics - Applied forest ecology
Ashton & Kelty ch 4
Thursday
1/25
Stand Dynamics and Ecology in practice
Mixed wood Silviculture in North America -
Kenefic et al. 2023
Week
Three
Tuesday
Thursday
1/30
2/1
Natural Regeneration-
Clearcuts, Seed-tree, shelterwood, coppice, selection
Cutting Cyclyes cont
Natural Regeneration - Unforseen Challenges
Ashton & Kelty Ch 7
Optional Reading-
Snuffing out regeneration -
Rodman et al. 2020
Worksheet due on 2/6/2024
Clearcutting
Seed tree
Shellterwood
Selection
No Reading - Study for Exam
Tuesday
2/6
Review Cutting systems
Week Four
Thursday
2/8
Celebration of Knowledge
In class - Exam 1
Exam study Guide
Week
Day
Date
Topic
Readings and Assignments Due In Class
Tuesday
2/13
Review Exam
Artifical Regeneration and Assisted Migration
Optional Reading -
Southern Rockies Reforestation Tool
Week Five
Thursday
2/15
Intermediate Treatments
No Reading
Tuesday
2/20
Tree and stand growth and yeild modeling
Week Six
Thursday
2/22
Tree and stand growth and yield modeling
Optional Reading
Ecological Stoichometry and Conifer Growth:
Kranabetter et al. 2020
Ashton and Kelty Ch 17
Tuesday
2/27
Developing Goals
Developing goals - Long et al. 2010
BRING FVS Homework to class
Week Seven
Thursday
2/29
Intermediate Treatments, Exploiting Mutualisms and Ecology
Early successional vegetation buffers microclimate- Crokett and Hurteau 2022
Tuesday
3/5
Developing Goals with the Future in Mind
Be ready to be thoughtful (full of thoughts)
Read these example Rx
Week Eight
Thursday
3/7
Project
Project Assignment
Week Nine
Tuesday
Thursday
3/12
NO CLASS
3/14
NO CLASS
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
Week
Day
Date
Topic
Readings and Assignments Due In Class
Week Ten
Tuesday
3/19
Historical Context of Silviculture: Rise and Fall of Civilization
Deforestation and Civilization:
A Buddhist perspective
Thursday
3/21
No Class: Answer Reading Questions
Puettmann, Coates, Messier Ch 2
Worksheet due on 3/21/2024
Tuesday
3/26
Project work time
Work on project
Week 11
Thursday
3/28
Project work time
Work on project (Due 4/30)
Project due on 4/30
Tuesday
4/2
Ecological Silviculture
Origins of Ecological Forestry in North America - D'Amato et al. 2017
Week 12
Thursday
4/4
Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change
Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change -
Nagel et al. 2017
Week 13
Tuesday
4/9
Social Systems in Forest : Governments, policies, values
Community Forestry - Oliver Ch. 13
Thursday
4/11
Example Pres
Example Presentation
Week
Day
Date
Topic
Readings and Assignments Due In Class
Week 14
Tuesday
4/16
Prescription development and Implementation: World College Marking
No Reading
Thursday
4/18
Monitoring plans
Unknown Trajectory of Forest Restoration -
DeLuca et al. 2010
Tuesday
4/23
Urban Forestry
Climate Adaptive Silviculture for the City -
Piana et al. 2021
Week 15
Thursday
4/25
BMPS and gaps in Silviculture
Soil Compaction in Redwood CTL -
Hwang et al. 2020
Week 16
Tuesday
4/30
Presentations
No Reading
Thursday
5/2
Presentations
No Reading
Final Paper Due
FINALS
Thursday
5/9
Final Exam
@ 2:30 - 5:30
Final Exam
UWC Tree Marking
Class Format
Lecture
The lecture will emphasize material content from readings and focus on concepts, theory, and principals of silviculture.
In person attendance during lecture is required if you are in Las Vegas.
Attendance via Zoom is acceptable if: you provide advance communication of a need to attend remotely OR you live somewhere besides Las Vegas
Reading Discussion
Every class with an assigned reading due will have a 20–30-minute reading discussion. Participating in reading discussions is a mandatory part of your participation grade.
Grading:
This class will be graded based on the following categories: participation, examination, lab, and final project. These categories are outlined in terms of there total points towards your final grade below.
Category
Points
Participation
350
Percent of total
33
Examination
400
38
Ponderosa Project
100
10
Final Project
200
19
Total:
1,050
100
Description
10 points / lecture = 320 + 30 points overall grade and professionalism
4 exams @ 100 points per exam (including final)
In class project with homework
Final paper and self assessment
Grades are reported to the university using the standard grading scale outlined below based on the percentage of your total grade. Please consider the rubric categories as opportunities for growth rather than focusing on your grade alone. Since your participation grade is a daily grade, you always have the opportunity to improve in the next class.
Grade
Percent Range
A
>90%
Rubric Category
Excelling (4)
B
80-89%
C
70-79%
D
60-69%
F
<60%
Sufficient (3)
Developing (2)
Needs Improvement (1)
Absent
Late assignments:
Attendance:
Assignments will be posted to BrightSpace and will always be due at the beginning of the class period for which their due date is listed.
Late assignments will result in a 10% grade deduction for every day they are late.
Professional settings mandate proactive communication for missing deadlines, so this late assignment penalty can be waived with reasonable proactive communication.
If you nees help learning how to talk with your professor, remember we are humans with our own humaness and flaws, but also see these:
How to communicate with your professor
Attendance is mandatory. If you live in Las Vegas and are not ill, then I expect you to attend in person. If you live outside of the Las Vegas area, are ill, or have an extraneous circumstance, attending via Zoom is acceptable. Discussions will be much more meaningful in person, and I will do my best to make Zoom and equally inclusive learning experience.
Should you miss class – Well shoot. Every day is special. The biggest consequence in my opinion is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). In professional settings, missing an obligation is acceptable with proactive communication and a dedication to making up missed material independently. Interpret this for how you wish in your self-assessment.
If you miss class, these are helpful :
What to do when you miss class.
Rules of Engagement:
We develop these rules as a group on the first day of class. The point is to ensure we have a respectful classroom setting everyone can agree with and feel comfortable with. If someone is violating these rules, we can politely point out the situation and remedy the problem as a group or as individuals within the group. The point is to ensure we are all empowered and supported rather than me, the professor, holding disproportionate rule-making and enforcing authority.
Example Rules:
-
Be present
-
Assume positive intent
-
Critique ideas, not people
-
If you identify a problem, present a solution as well
-
Make mistakes
-
If you take space, make space
-
Respect each others time - the time you dedicate may look different than what someone else dedicates and this is not a reflection of value or intellect but rather a reflection of our diversity.
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Be patient - we all have different learning skills and processes and therefore learn at different rates.
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Help each other
-
Collaborate - we all have diverse knowledge, note sharing and teamwork (even on indiviudal projects or studying) can help diversify our knowledge by allowing us to learn from each other.
Academic Integrity Policy:
New Mexico Highlands University students and faculty are expected to maintain integrity through honesty and responsibility in all their academic work.
Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, Cheating, Collusion, Facilitation, Fabrication, Multiple Submissions, and Falsification of Records.
ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools help look up questions or ideas; however, copying and pasting AI-generated answers is still academically dishonest.
Additional Resources:
This course follows the Highlands Academic Integrity Policy as described in the catalog:
Cell Phone and Electronics Policy:
Cell phones can both distract and enhance the learning environment.
We will develop rules regarding cell phone use together as a class, please reference the Rules of Engagement for more details.
Preparedness and Etiquette Policy:
Having the proper etiquette for the day means having a good attitude and being part of the team that is our class.
Specific Rules of Engagement will be made on the first day of class and added to this syllabus
Support and Resources
Health and Mental Health Services
Service
Description
The health Center offers basic student medical and wellness services included primary care, illness diagnosis and wound treatment.
The health center also provides students with counseling services for mental health and wellness.
Benefits
The health Center offers basic student medical and wellness services included primary care, illness diagnosis and wound treatment.
The health center also provides students with counseling services for mental health and wellness.
Contact Information
505-454-3218
901 Baca Street
Las Vegas, NM,87701
The NM Crisis and Access line is a 24/7 phone service for counseling and mental health emergency support line.
They also offer warm peer calls and text messaging for non-crisis but need-to-talk-to-someone moments.
Any mental health challenge or emergency can be met with professional counseling and confidentiality by calling this number.
Crisis and Access Line
Call only:
1-855-662-7474
Peer-to-Peer Warm Line
Call or text:
1-855-466-7100
Food Resources
A general store and food pantry
Emergency Funding
The student extreme hardship fund can support students with challenging financial circumstances
The outdoor recreation center offers gear, including jackets, for outdoor recreation.
Eating a healthy diet helps us focus and thrive
505-454-3529
SUB Room 110
This can help students pay for rent or groceries when facing hardship. There also the Dean Farmer Fund
Students can rent camping gear, jackets, rafting gear, bikes, and many other items to enjoy outside.
Hint: could be useful for class ;)
Adrian Gallegos
505-454-3495 or
505-454-3050
Academic and Professional Development Services
Service
Description
The ARMAS center is a place for studying and peer support in the sciences.
The dean of students is a resource for all student affair related questions and concerns.
Human Resources is the office that ensures fair hiring and payroll.
Professional development can connect you with on and off campus jobs
Academic databases, books, digital media and more
Professional Job Boards
Job boards are where professionals list employment opportunities
"Writers helping writers", The NMHU Writing Center supports undergraduate and graduate writers in all disciplines regardless of where you are in the process and what you’re writing.
Benefits
Contact Information
Having a study community and place to work on campus can enhance productivity and sense of belonging in the academic community
The Dean is an administrative role at the University and the Dean of Student brings student functions to University Administrations.
The human resources office can help with any and all issues related to payroll and hiring.
This center offers interview practice, resume building and more services
The library can help you with research support and finding academic resources. The library also loans computers to students!
Connects you to opportunities nationwide and internationally where you can build experience and your professional network.
We’ll support you as you brainstorm, draft, rewrite, and revise. We provide support on academic, professional, creative, and personal writing. If you’re looking for feedback, the writing center is here to help.
Harassment and Crisis Services
Service
Description
Benefits
Contact Information
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc.
If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to contact the Center for Advocacy, Resources, Education, & Support (HU-CARES)
HU-CARES is a confidential and professional service with individuals who are trained in helping students with these unfortunate circumstances.
HU-CARES will facilitate making a student’s campus and off-campus experience safe and can help connect students with housing opportunities if they are displaced because of violence or harassment.
See the website for scheduling an appointment. HU-CARES also offers counseling and confidential crisis support services.
Title IX is a law that prevents discrimination based on sex.
Title IX has online reporting forms (see website) and offers professional and confidential ways to report incidents.
Campus police can be called for any non-emergency situation. Locked out of a room? Locked out of your dorm? Call campus police.
Campus police are friendly and helpful members of our community. They help us all when we need help and help make our campus a safe and vibrant place.
Immediate emergency: 911
On-campus emergency: (campus phones) 5555,
cell phones 505-454-3278
Non-emergency: 505-454-3278
Additional Support and Services
Service
Description
Personal Needs
Field-based coursework and college in general can be challenging and bring us out of our comfort zones.
Finding peers in the classroom our outside of class to talk through our challenges can help us grow as foresters.
Benefits
Communicating with friends and peers in the class builds community and connections.
Other people probably feel similar challenges and validate our experience and can help offer solutions we had not considered.
Contact Information
Call your friends, talk with someone in class, or contact me, Michael. I try to be understanding and supportive of all circumstances
505-454-3320
In accordance with federal law, it is university policy to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you believe you have a physical, learning, or psychological circumstance that creates extra challenges in your learning, we have services to help overcome those challenges.
These can include physical injuries, dyslexia, mental health circumstances and many others.
Seeking services from the school can help by increasing the time allotted for you to take examinations, giving you quiet study rooms to take exams, offering alternative assignment and exam formats and/or finding additional mentors to help you learn how to live with exactly who you are.
These services are confidential and respect student privacy.