System Design and Management for Restoring Penn's Woods

Pennsylvania has embarked on establishing a half-million-acre old-growth system within its 2.1 million acres of state forest. If successful, this system will contribute to the restoration of ecological functions associated with old-growth forests that have virtually disappeared from eastern ecosystems. However, the proposed old-growth forests must be resurrected from fragmented and structurally homogenous second-growth forests that are subject to anthropogenic disturbances. In the context of these disturbances, thoughtful system design and, in many instances, application of silvicultural practices will be necessary to protect, restore, and accelerate the accumulation of old-growth attributes in Pennsylvania's forests. We explore some initial design and management considerations for creating an eastern old-growth system.