SilviCast
Wisconsin Forestry Center and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
SilviCast is a podcast devoted to silviculture: the science, practice, and art of forestry. We explore current topics in forest management, highlight innovative practices, and interview practitioners and researchers aiming to solve challenges facing today’s managers. The show is tailored for foresters and other land managers, whether it’s listening at the office or in the truck on the way to the field. SilviCast is hosted by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources silviculturists Greg Edge and Brad Hutnik and produced by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Forestry Center.
All episodes
Best episodes
Seasons
Top 10 SilviCast Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best SilviCast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to SilviCast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite SilviCast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
S.2 Ep.1: Betu-love it!
SilviCast
01/15/21 • 45 min
Let's talk paper birch! There are few tree species that have such a rich and diverse relationship with the inhabitants of North America, being prized for food, medicine, transportation, fuel, lumber, pulpwood, shelter, and aesthetic beauty. Paper birch is an ecological opportunist, taking advantage of disturbances that expose mineral soil and allow its abundant, tiny seeds to take root. Still, in the Lake States at least, many birch stands are disappearing to the forces of succession and changing disturbance patterns. Today we talk with Colleen Matula, Wisconsin DNR Forest Ecologist and Silviculturist, and John Zasada, retired forest research scientist with the US Forest Service, about paper birch silviculture and how we can sustain this fascinating species.
Guests: Colleen Matula and John Zasada
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
S.2 Ep.3: The Green Wall
SilviCast
03/15/21 • 46 min
A conversation with Ralph Nyland, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, who has conducted extensive applied research into even and uneven-aged silvicultural systems in northern hardwood forests for over 50 years. In this episode of SilviCast we explore with Ralph the challenges of implementing uneven-aged systems like single-tree selection, particularly when our second-growth, mostly even-aged northern hardwood forest don't always cooperate!
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
04/15/21 • 57 min
There may be nothing more satisfying than planting a tree. Artificial regeneration of hardwoods in particular however can be a challenge. Trees are lost due to everything from improper planting to interfering vegetation to deer browse. How do foresters maximize their success at not only having trees survive, but at long-term establishment and growth? In this episode of SilviCast we explore the challenges of artificial regeneration of hardwoods with Doug Jacobs, the Fred M. van Eck Professor of Forest Biology and Associate Head of Extension at Purdue University and a principle scientist at the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center.
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
05/24/21 • 67 min
What happened to the days when regenerating sugar maple was easy as falling off a log? Unfortunately, foresters from across the range of northern hardwoods are frequently experiencing a dearth of well-established sugar maple seedlings, not to mention seedlings of other prized species such as yellow birch and basswood. What is going on? Is it deer, interfering vegetation, earthworms, our silvicultural systems? In this episode of SilviCast we explore the challenges of naturally regenerating northern hardwoods with Mike Walters, Professor of Forest Ecology at Michigan State University and principle investigator on what has been dubbed "the big northern hardwood study."
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
03/02/22 • 58 min
Savannas, woodlands, and other open forest systems once occupied vast areas of North America where fire disturbance, at least in part, shaped their structure and composition. Many of those acres have been lost since the advent of fire exclusion and other land use changes. Resource managers and landowners are trying to restore some of these systems for their ecological and economic value. Foresters have a lot to offer. But these are not your average silviculture prescriptions! In this episode of SilviCast we explore the challenges of restoring and managing savanna and woodland systems with John Kabrick, Ph.D., Research Forester with the USFS Northern Research Station.
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
S.3 Ep.4: Fly on the Slash Wall
SilviCast
05/26/22 • 70 min
Necessity is the mother of invention, even in silviculture. Foresters in the eastern US often struggle with regenerating trees due to severe deer browse. Yet mitigating solutions, like fencing and tree shelters, are costly and problematic. What if you could use a resource that is abundant, on-site, and cheap to keep the deer out? On this episode of SilviCast we explore the innovative strategy of "slash walls," or the use of logging residues to form deer barriers around regenerating stands. Join us as we explore the ins and outs of slash walls with Peter Smallidge - New York State Extension Forester, Brett Chedzoy - Regional Extension Forester at Cornell, and Jason Hennes – Forest Ranger with the Wisconsin DNR.
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
S.3 Ep.9: Woodlot Assassins
SilviCast
12/14/22 • 43 min
Interfering vegetation, be it native or invasive, is a real headache for foresters. Sometimes we wind up wishing for one more tool in the toolkit when none of the current ones seem to fit. Luckily, some foresters are innovating and exploring new options. Some are turning to the oldest tool we have: grazing. In this episode we explore the world of targeted goat grazing with Brooke Hushagen and Greg Haak of HaakHagen Goat Grazing LLC.
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
01/04/23 • 70 min
One of the most interesting aspects of silviculture is that our understanding keeps growing. We look to old approaches, new research, and field practice to better manage our forests for a host of societal needs. And perhaps there is no better place to look than how these forests function in the natural world – a natural models approach. This is the basis of ecological silviculture and the tools behind emulating natural disturbance. Join us for a conversation with Dr. Tony D’Amato from the University of Vermont and Dr. Brian Palik from the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station, and authors of Ecological Silviculture: Foundations and Applications.
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
S.4 Ep.3: Syrup with Saps
SilviCast
03/29/23 • 61 min
Business is booming if you own a commercial sugar bush! As forest managers, this means more and more of us are hearing from landowners interested in starting or maintaining a sugar bush. Unfortunately, if you are like us, you did not learn about maple syrup in forestry school. This episode's guest, Mark Isselhardt, Extension Maple Specialist with the University of Vermont, helps us unpack the fundamentals of sap production, sugar bush management, and how the industry has changed in the 21st century.
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the SilviCast website.
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
S.1 Ep.5: The Kitchen Sink
SilviCast
10/15/20 • 46 min
Foresters often encounter stand trees that have been “degraded” by past land use practices, whether that is destructive cutting, over-grazing, invasive species, insects and disease, or other impactful disturbances. How do foresters begin to manage these stands in a way that restores productivity and function? What are some the silviculture techniques to consider in these highly variable forests with mostly low-quality growing stock? And how do you motivate a landowner to make these long-term investments in the health of their forest? Today we talk with Tom Hill, a Wisconsin DNR forester who has worked on both public and private forest lands in southern Wisconsin for more than two decades, to find out some approaches he has tried to put these stands on a better track.
To earn CEU/CFE credits, learn more, or interact with SilviCast, visit the uwsp.edu/SilviCast.
Show more best episodes
Show more best episodes
FAQ
How many episodes does SilviCast have?
SilviCast currently has 50 episodes available.
What topics does SilviCast cover?
The podcast is about Natural Sciences, Podcasts, Science and Forestry.
What is the most popular episode on SilviCast?
The episode title 'S.1 Ep.2: Is This a Deer Thing?' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on SilviCast?
The average episode length on SilviCast is 58 minutes.
How often are episodes of SilviCast released?
Episodes of SilviCast are typically released every 31 days.
When was the first episode of SilviCast?
The first episode of SilviCast was released on Jun 12, 2020.
Show more FAQ
Show more FAQ