It is a tumultuous time in our world. Change has accelerated at an unprecedented rate, yet our woodlands remain steadfast in their measured pace of growth, with a single rotation of timber taking the better part of a century (or more) from seed to maturity. As long-term woodlot owners age out of active management of their properties and/or pass on, forestland is being increasingly parcelled and fragmented. In the process, the culture fostered by that long-term stewardship also fragments, and silviculture-based, holistic management increasingly takes a back seat to short-term economic gain—with subsequent losses inforest productivity, fertility, and diversity that spread, mostly silently, across the landscape. Add rapid climate change and incessantpressure from invasive plants, insects, and disease into the mix, and it is enough to turn near anyone who cares about these issues into a cynic.
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