Monitoring:
Monitoring is an essential component of the ASCC study. Research partners from many institutions are working together to investigate the effectiveness of different silvicultural treatments aimed at creating adaptive ecosystems. Some of the monitoring items include:
- Regeneration of planted seedlings
- Residual tree survival and growth
- Microclimate conditions
- Wildlife response to treatments
- Carbon sequestration potential
Progress & Next Steps:
The Driftless Area ASCC projects sites will be tended and monitored into the future. Each of the adaptation treatments will be implemented across the sites in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Areas that were brought down to 40-50% cover in the initial entry will be harvested, followed by new patches around the same size which will be thinned down to 40-50% cover. This will allow for the conditions created to move across the stand over time. Future data collection will focus on tree regeneration, forest growth, and forest health. Pre-treatment sampling is planned to take place in the summer of 2022.