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 U.S. Forest Service, about paper birch silviculture and how we can sustain this fascinating species.
