Moving Forestry into the 21st Century
Since first published in 1957, Silvics of North America (SNA) has been the most widely used professional forestry resource in the world; however, the SNA was last updated in 1990 and is missing over 30 years of research information. The results from two publications, and a third in review, show support for updating the SNA, and a team of state, federal, and private forestry-related professionals from Mexico, Canada and the United States is now being assembled to begin the revision.
Silvics of North America (SNA) is a significant, essential reference work for forestry and natural resource management professionals, but it has not been updated in over 30 years. In that time, there have been significant advances in technology, shifts in species ranges, uses and genetics, and impacts from climate change. A series of surveys were conducted to begin to inform if and how the SNA should be revised. The first survey compared internet search programs as a measure of tree species importance with the idea being the most cited species should be included in the SNA. The second survey assessed forester preferences regarding the content that needs to be updated in the SNA. Results were published in two peer-reviewed journals and indicate that tree importance, relative to inclusion/exclusion in an SNA update, can be assessed through the number of published works in commonly used science-based search engines; however, the choice of search engine can impact the level of information recentness. Results also indicate there is support for updating SNA with findings from newer or previously omitted research, including current and projected range maps, climate change considerations, adaptation measures, and other aesthetic improvements. Together, these surveys have provided a foundation around which the SNA revision team can form.
Pictured: Two recent articles support an update of the Silvics of North American. Variations in Results of Three Biology-Focused Search Engines: A Case Study Using North American Tree Species found that tree importance can be assessed through the number of published works in commonly used science search engines, and Forester Preferences on Revising Silvics of North America – a Survey of Registered Foresters in Four States found that the majority of stakeholders support an update. Image USDA Forest Service.
External Partners: University of Georgia
