In a Word: Silviculture

sil·​vi·​cul·​ture
noun: ˈsil-və-ˌkəl-chər 

a branch of forestry dealing with the development and care of forests

What do you think when you envision a forest? A lush, green, leafy landscape? Or perhaps deep, soft moss interspersed with pockets of sun and shade? As it turns out, many of our traditional notions of what a forest should be or look like aren’t rooted in the reality of what forests actually need in order to be healthy.

The art and science of tending the forest or the forest stand is, in a word, silviculture. Ethan Tapper, a Vermont forester and author, has made this practice his life’s work and explored it in his book “How to Love a Forest.” 

Silviculture, Tapper tells us, is the way different interventions are used to create characteristics, attributes, and qualities in a forest. One intervention that often surprises us, he said, is the cutting of trees. “It is one of the most powerful tools for regeneration, addressing the wounds of the past,” he said, “and it builds resilience for the future by using mortality in a strategic way. In many cases just not doing anything is an act of negligence; to love a forest means to care for them with tools that we have.”

When, in 2017, Tapper bought a 175-acre forest in Bolton, Vermont that he named Bear Island, he walked it thinking, “there are no healthy trees here, there’s no room for the healthy trees to return.” Years later, the forest has materially changed — because he practiced silviculture. 

We can see silviculture in action at the Catamount Community Forest, owned by the town of Williston, Vermont, thanks to its recently implemented management plan. When Tapper first evaluated the grounds, he found a multigenerational stand of trees. He and researchers from the University of Vermont forestry department decided to make a plan for a climate resilient forest. Visitors to the forest can undertake a self-guided tour using a QR code to download the free Avenza Maps app and a georeferenced PDF map. The tour describes the climate change research being led by Dr. Tony D’Amato, Director of the Forestry Department at UVM, which includes tracking bird species, nesting patterns, road usage, and the beneficial planting of american chestnut, oak, and hickory species. 

While silviculture has created what appears to be a messier forest, Tapper calls it more complex, with cover for nests, birds, and other wildlife to create habitat. He reminds us, a forest that's easy to appreciate aesthetically has nothing to do with a healthy forest. “If we want to care for forests, our intuitive understanding will not be right.” Mess, it turns out, is best.