GISF - Yale Silviculture: Education

Courses and research projects offered by silviculture faculty can lead to graduate degrees in professional forestry (Master of Forestry) or in silviculture (Master of Forest Science). The Doctoral program offers both Ph.D and DF&ES degrees in silviculture. Courses offered in the silviculture program are described below.

Other Forest Management courses and Forest Biology courses are offered at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

FES700b Principles in Applied Ecology: The Practice of Silviculture

FES702a Management plans for protected areas

FES702b Rapid Assessments in Forest Conservation for Diversity and Productivity

FES703a Growth and Development of Forest Stands

FES704a Analysis of silvicultural problems

FES705a Seminar in advanced silviculture

FES706a/b Project in silviculture

FES707a/b Project in silviculture

FES708a/b Field trips in forest resource management and silviculture

FES592b Seminar in agroforestry systems.

Workshops Harvesting techniques and impact assessment; Fire ecology and management

FES700b - Principles in Applied Ecology: The Practice of Silviculture

4 credits

The scientific principles and techniques of controlling, protecting, and restoring the regeneration, composition, and growth of natural forest vegetation and its plantation analogs. Analysis of biological and socioeconomic problems affecting specific forest stands and design of silvicultural systems to solve these problems. Applications are discussed for management of wildlife habitat, water resources, timber and nontimber products, and landscape design. Recommended: some knowledge of soils, ecology, plant physiology, and socioeconomics. Four hours lecture. One hour tutorial. Seven days fieldwork. Mark S. Ashton.

Harvard Forest group Photo

Silviculture FES 700b field trip to the Harvard forest Petersham, MA (Spring 1996)

Quabbin Reservior

Silviculture FES 700b field trip to the Quabbin Reservior (spring 1996)

FES702a - Management plans for protected areas

4 credits

A technical seminar that comprises the documentation of land-use history, zoning, photographic interpretation, mapping, and the collection and analysis of biological and physical information about forests and in particular stand development processes relevant to the construction of management plans for a property. Plans have been constructed for various land trusts, The National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, city parks and woodlands of New Haven, New York and Boston and various private land owners. Prerequisites: FES 560a or 561b; 700b or 703a; 734 a or permission of the instructors. Eight days field work. Mark S. Ashton, Thomas G. Siccama.

FES702b - Rapid Assessments in Forest Conservation for Diversity and Productivity

3 credits

An advanced interdisciplinary course concerned with protecting and maintaining the biological diversity of complex forested ecosystems while producing various goods and services. Examples of independent case analyses concern landscape management of biogeographic regions in the Pacific Northwest, Venezuela, Belize, central and southern Mexico, and the Panama Canal Watersheds. Students are encouraged to travel on extended class field trips to these regions. Prerequisites: F&ES 700b or 703a; 702a; 560a or 561a; 734a or permission of the instructor. Three hours lecture. Eight days fieldwork. Mark S. Ashton, Timothy Clark.P

Oaxaca logging

FES702b Forest Management for Production and Diversity: Field trip to Oaxaca, Mexico 1996. Chimalapas rainforest with Mahogany logging.

Oaxaca truck riding

FES702b Oaxaca, Mexico 1996. Pine-oak forest managed by the Zapotec Indians in the Sierra Norte Mountains

FES703a - Growth and Development of Forest Stands

3 credits

This course explores how forest stands grow and develop. Knowledge of forest stand dynamics is important for aesthetic, wildlife, and timber management applications. Development processes and pathways in forest stands are investigated through lectures and laboratory projects. Emphasizes use of biological information to describe the present stand structure and make predictions of future states. Special attention is given to the role of disturbance, both natural and anthropogenic. Approaches to stand-level modeling are also discussed. Three hours lecture, laboratory sessions. One weekend field trip. Matthew J. Kelty.

FES704a - Analysis of silvicultural problems

3 credits

An advanced course exploring the silvicultural options for problem stands. Problems can be both biological (fire, pathogens) and social (multiple value conflicts, property rights). Solutions are sought through synthesis and analysis of relevant literature for case studies. Quantitative silvicultural and economic techniques are used for comparative evaluation of solutions. Prerequisites: FES 700b or 703a; 734a or 733b; or permission of the instructors. Mark S. Ashton, Robert Mendelsohn.

FES705a - Seminar in advanced silviculture

2 credits

This course considers selected topics in silviculture for students with previous silvicultural knowledge. The fieldwork of FES 700b may be taken in the spring term for one extra credit. Three hours lecture. Mark S. Ashton, John Gordon, David M. Smith.

FES706a/b - Project in silviculture

Mark S. Ashton

FES707a/b - Project in silviculture.

Faculty

FES708a/b - Field Trips in Forest Resource Management and Silviculture

1 credit

Seven to nine-day field trips to study the silviculture and forest management of particular forest regions. In previous years, classes have visited Germany, the United Kingdom, British Columbia, and, in the United States, the southern Coastal Plain and Piedmont, and the Allegheny, Appalachian, Adirondack, and Green mountains. Mark S. Ashton.

The 1997 Forest Management Trip to Florida

The 1997 Field trip to the Pacific Northwest

FES708 Silviculture and Forest Management field trips: Makeri Harvester thining Scots pine plantation in the Windsor Estates, England

Arkansas planting

FES708 Silviculture and Forest Management field trips: reforestation of the Scottish highlands

FES710a Seminar in Agroforestry Systems

3 credits

Agroforestry systems are seen as alternatives for sustainable development and land restoration. Topics include agroforestry systems concepts, classification, and types of traditional and more innovative agroforestry; agroforestry components and their interactions, mechanisms of the functioning of systems, choice of appropriate tree species, and effects of trees on soil conservation; economic analysis of small-, medium-, and large-scale agroforestry; social and community forestry; agroforestry extension; and priorities in agroforestry research. Three hours lecture. Next offered spring 2002. Mark S. Ashton, James A. Bryan.

Workshops - Harvesting techniques and impact assessment; Fire ecology and management

Tree felling

Student felling an oak tree during the harvesting workshop



Navigation GISF Home School Forests Home Silviculture Home History Research Publications Education & Courses Photos Links		Silviculture Laboratory Education and Courses Courses and research projects offered by silviculture faculty can lead to graduate degrees in professional forestry (Master of Forestry) or in silviculture (Master of Forest Science). The Doctoral program offers both Ph.D and DF&ES degrees in silviculture. Courses offered in the silviculture program are described below. Other Forest Management courses and Forest Biology courses are offered at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies FES700b Principles in Applied Ecology: The Practice of Silviculture FES702a Management plans for protected areas FES702b Rapid Assessments in Forest Conservation for Diversity and Productivity FES703a Growth and Development of Forest Stands FES704a Analysis of silvicultural problems FES705a Seminar in advanced silviculture FES706a/b Project in silviculture FES707a/b Project in silviculture FES708a/b Field trips in forest resource management and silviculture FES592b Seminar in agroforestry systems. Workshops Harvesting techniques and impact assessment; Fire ecology and management FES700b - Principles in Applied Ecology: The Practice of Silviculture 4 credits The scientific principles and techniques of controlling, protecting, and restoring the regeneration, composition, and growth of natural forest vegetation and its plantation analogs. Analysis of biological and socioeconomic problems affecting specific forest stands and design of silvicultural systems to solve these problems. Applications are discussed for management of wildlife habitat, water resources, timber and nontimber products, and landscape design. Recommended: some knowledge of soils, ecology, plant physiology, and socioeconomics. Four hours lecture. One hour tutorial. Seven days fieldwork. Mark S. Ashton. Silviculture FES 700b field trip to the Harvard forest Petersham, MA (Spring 1996) Silviculture FES 700b field trip to the Quabbin Reservior (spring 1996) FES702a - Management plans for protected areas 4 credits A technical seminar that comprises the documentation of land-use history, zoning, photographic interpretation, mapping, and the collection and analysis of biological and physical information about forests and in particular stand development processes relevant to the construction of management plans for a property. Plans have been constructed for various land trusts, The National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, city parks and woodlands of New Haven, New York and Boston and various private land owners. Prerequisites: FES 560a or 561b; 700b or 703a; 734 a or permission of the instructors. Eight days field work. Mark S. Ashton, Thomas G. Siccama. FES702b - Rapid Assessments in Forest Conservation for Diversity and Productivity 3 credits An advanced interdisciplinary course concerned with protecting and maintaining the biological diversity of complex forested ecosystems while producing various goods and services. Examples of independent case analyses concern landscape management of biogeographic regions in the Pacific Northwest, Venezuela, Belize, central and southern Mexico, and the Panama Canal Watersheds. Students are encouraged to travel on extended class field trips to these regions. Prerequisites: F&ES 700b or 703a; 702a; 560a or 561a; 734a or permission of the instructor. Three hours lecture. Eight days fieldwork. Mark S. Ashton, Timothy Clark.P FES702b Forest Management for Production and Diversity: Field trip to Oaxaca, Mexico 1996. Chimalapas rainforest with Mahogany logging. FES702b Oaxaca, Mexico 1996. Pine-oak forest managed by the Zapotec Indians in the Sierra Norte Mountains FES703a - Growth and Development of Forest Stands 3 credits This course explores how forest stands grow and develop. Knowledge of forest stand dynamics is important for aesthetic, wildlife, and timber management applications. Development processes and pathways in forest stands are investigated through lectures and laboratory projects. Emphasizes use of biological information to describe the present stand structure and make predictions of future states. Special attention is given to the role of disturbance, both natural and anthropogenic. Approaches to stand-level modeling are also discussed. Three hours lecture, laboratory sessions. One weekend field trip. Matthew J. Kelty. FES704a - Analysis of silvicultural problems 3 credits An advanced course exploring the silvicultural options for problem stands. Problems can be both biological (fire, pathogens) and social (multiple value conflicts, property rights). Solutions are sought through synthesis and analysis of relevant literature for case studies. Quantitative silvicultural and economic techniques are used for comparative evaluation of solutions. Prerequisites: FES 700b or 703a; 734a or 733b; or permission of the instructors. Mark S. Ashton, Robert Mendelsohn. FES705a - Seminar in advanced silviculture 2 credits This course considers selected topics in silviculture for students with previous silvicultural knowledge. The fieldwork of FES 700b may be taken in the spring term for one extra credit. Three hours lecture. Mark S. Ashton, John Gordon, David M. Smith. FES706a/b - Project in silviculture Mark S. Ashton FES707a/b - Project in silviculture. Faculty FES708a/b - Field Trips in Forest Resource Management and Silviculture 1 credit Seven to nine-day field trips to study the silviculture and forest management of particular forest regions. In previous years, classes have visited Germany, the United Kingdom, British Columbia, and, in the United States, the southern Coastal Plain and Piedmont, and the Allegheny, Appalachian, Adirondack, and Green mountains. Mark S. Ashton. The 1997 Forest Management Trip to Florida The 1997 Field trip to the Pacific Northwest FES708 Silviculture and Forest Management field trips: Makeri Harvester thining Scots pine plantation in the Windsor Estates, England FES708 Silviculture and Forest Management field trips: reforestation of the Scottish highlands FES710a Seminar in Agroforestry Systems 3 credits Agroforestry systems are seen as alternatives for sustainable development and land restoration. Topics include agroforestry systems concepts, classification, and types of traditional and more innovative agroforestry; agroforestry components and their interactions, mechanisms of the functioning of systems, choice of appropriate tree species, and effects of trees on soil conservation; economic analysis of small-, medium-, and large-scale agroforestry; social and community forestry; agroforestry extension; and priorities in agroforestry research. Three hours lecture. Next offered spring 2002. Mark S. Ashton, James A. Bryan. Workshops - Harvesting techniques and impact assessment; Fire ecology and management Student felling an oak tree during the harvesting workshop

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