| [College of ACES] | [University of Illinois] | [Illinois CES] |
There is a movement around here to underplant deciduous
forests in urban areas with conifers in order to jumpstart
succession. These efforts are mostly less than ten years
old, but some are starting to show results. Aftercare seems
to be a critical component. Established forests are much
more competitive playfield than a burned over clearcut, so
traditional forestry techniques aren't effective. We're
planting #5 cans in a 4' diameter grubbed area 20' o.c.,
mulching with wood chips or burlap, watering the first
summer, and weeding for two years. Survival rates seem
to average +90%. This may be seem a bit excessive, but
with a volunteer-based program, we find that participants
identify with the trees better if they're larger, and so are
more likely to come back for after care.