Rome, Egypt, the Aztecs—history has seen the rise and fall of many once-dominant civilizations. But could we be witnessing a similar story unfolding in our forests, with the decline of a once-dominant tree species? Black cherry (Prunus serotina) has long shaped the ecology and economy of the Allegheny hardwood region. However, declining regeneration, growth, and survival are challenging traditional forest management practices and raising important questions about the future of this iconic species. In this episode of SilviCast, we talk with Dr. Alex Royo, Research Ecologist, and Dr. Lance Vickers, Assistant Professor of Forest Management and Forest Dynamics at the University of Kentucky, about the ecological and societal factors behind black cherry’s decline and what it means for forest managers. Drawing on recent research and decades of field observations, they explore what is happening with this important hardwood species and how foresters can adapt silvicultural strategies, build forest resilience, and make informed decisions in a changing environment.

Guests on this Episode

Alejandro Royo, Ph.D., Scientist at University of Kentucky and Founder of Alex Royo Ecological Services, LLC

Alejandro Royo was born and raised in the Republic of Panama, where he developed an early fascination with science and the natural world. After earning his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Pittsburgh, he spent 23 years as a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service. His research examines the factors that shape forest plant diversity in a changing world, with particular emphasis on ungulate browsing, disturbance, silviculture, and climate change. Following his retirement from Forest Service research, he joined the University of Kentucky as a staff scientist and founded Alex Royo Ecological Services, LLC, through which he provides scientific consulting in forest ecology, research design, data analysis, and natural resource management.

Lance Vickers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Forest Dynamics & Management, University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Dr. Lance A. Vickers is an Assistant Professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, where he leads the Forest Dynamics & Management Lab. The lab’s research applies silvicultural approaches to contemporary forest management challenges, with emphasis on the regeneration, recruitment, and population dynamics of ecologically and economically important forest tree species. Dr. Vickers earned a Ph.D. in Quantitative Silviculture from the University of Missouri in 2015, an M.S. in Silviculture from Virginia Tech in 2009, and a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Arkansas at Monticello in 2006.

Show Notes

Little Arnot Photo Series - USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station

The Forest of Unintended Consequences: Anthropogenic Actions Trigger the Rise and Fall of Black Cherry - Royo, Vickers, et al. Bioscience Vol. 71 No. 7. July 2021.

Changes in Black Cherry Seed Production: Is Stand Age a Factor? - Long and Ristau. Northeastern Naturalist 27(2): pp. 281–298. 2020.

Black Cherry: Evolution of a Species - Royo, Ristau, Vickers. Rooted in Research USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. Issue 11. October 2022.

Evaluating the Extent and Severity of Black Cherry Regeneration Declines in Eastern Forests and Exploring Potential Causes - Vickers, Lance A.; Royo, Alejandro A.; Stout, Susan L.; Ristau, Todd; Oldland, William K.; Knapp, Benjamin O.; Knapp, Lauren S.P.; Hille, Andrea. 2025. Evaluating the extent and severity of black cherry regeneration declines in eastern forests and exploring potential causes. In: Conkling, B.L.; Pandit, K., eds. Forest Health Monitoring: Evaluation Monitoring project summaries 2023. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-105a. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 9–16. Chapter 2.

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Eastern white pine is making a comeback, but as experienced field foresters know, much of this second-growth timber can be challenging from a quality standpoint. In this episode of SilviCast, we talk with Rene Germain, professor of forestry at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Sara Dreibelbis, Operations Director at Alliance for a Green Economy. They share insights from their research on assessing and managing eastern white pine, including practical approaches for improving timber quality. You may just find yourself looking at white pine logs a little differently!

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In this episode of SilviCast, we talk with regeneration experts Mike Reinikainen, Roger Bohringer, and Tom Hill about direct seeding—a challenging and often misunderstood approach to reforestation that establishes forests by planting seeds rather than seedlings. Direct seeding can be an economical and effective way to establish new forests, but success depends on getting the details right. We explore seed rates and timing, site preparation, planting depth, and the challenges of seed predation and seed procurement. Because little has been written about the practical application of direct seeding, success requires careful planning, patience, and diligence—as well as a willingness to experiment, observe, and learn from what happens on the ground.

GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE

Roger Bohringer
Assistant Manager, Wilson State Nursery at WI DNR
Roger Bohringer is the Assistant Nursery Manager, tasked with managing the day to day operations at Wilson State Nursery in Boscobel, Wisconsin. Prior to his current duties, he spent several summers in the field all across Wisconsin, looking at new plantings as part of the program’s reforestation monitoring efforts. Roger grew up in the southwest Wisconsin town of Cassville, a two minute walk away from the mighty Mississippi River, and earned a degree in field biology from UW-Platteville in 1992. After graduation he did various LTE stints in Fisheries and Wildlife before falling into Forestry fulltime when he accepted a technician job at Wilson Nursery in the fall of 1998. It was a good fit, and he’s been there ever since.

Tom Hill
Consulting Forester
Tom Hill is a consulting forester based in Southwest Wisconsin, where he’s spent his career helping landowners understand and care for their woods. After a long career with the Wisconsin DNR, in 2022 Tom launched Tom Hill Forestry LLC to spend more time working directly with private landowners across the Driftless region.

Tom’s a self-described “dirt forester,” known for his practical, habitat focused approach and his ability to make forest management feel accessible. He’s worked with thousands of landowners on everything from Driftless woodland management to MFL planning, timber cutting, tree planting and direct seeding. As an avid hunter and lifelong outdoorsman, he brings a real-world understanding of habitat, regeneration, and long-term stewardship.

Mike Reinikainen
State Silviculturist, MN DNR
Mike Reinikainen is MN DNR’s state silviculturist. He is a University of Minnesota alumnus. He has practiced forestry in the Lake States for 17 years as a consulting forester, serving as forest manager and researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Cloquet Forestry Center, a Hennepin county forester, a MN DNR cooperative forest management forester, and as a MN DNR silviculturist. He spends his free time corralling his three young children, tracking closely the movements of the Packers and Brewers, playing third base, going to live music, slowly cross-country skiing, camping, canoeing, gardening, hunting upland birds and deer, and recreationally reading and thinking about silviculture.

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Black locust doesn't have many fans among foresters in North America. It's often criticized for growing crooked, spreading aggressively, and producing poor-quality stems. But is the problem really the tree, or is it how we've been growing it? In this episode, Zsolt Keserű, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Plantation Forestry and Senior Research Fellow at the Hungarian Forest Research Institute, University of Sopron, shares how decades of European research and silvicultural innovation have made it possible to grow straight, high-quality black locust timber. Join us for this episode of SilviCast as we talk about the genetics and management practices behind successful black locust plantations, why the species has become such an important hardwood in parts of Europe, and what North American foresters can learn from that experience. If you've written off black locust, this conversation might make you take a second look.

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Beavers are often seen as a nuisance, but what if they're actually some of nature's most effective forest managers? In this episode of SilviCast, we welcome renowned ecohydrologist Dr. Emily Fairfax to explore the surprising role of beavers as ecosystem engineers. Learn how beaver-created wetlands improve water storage, reduce wildfire risk, enhance biodiversity, store carbon, and influence forest management. Dr. Fairfax highlights practical strategies for addressing challenging beaver activity that impact roads, infrastructure, and timber production. This episode offers a fresh perspective on how one species can reshape landscapes and strengthen forests in a changing climate.

Emily Fairfax, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Geography, Environment & Society, University of Minnesota
Emily Fairfax is an Assistant Professor of Geography, Environment & Society at the University of Minnesota and an affiliate faculty member at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory. An ecohydrologist by training, her research combines remote sensing, fieldwork, and modeling to investigate how beavers shape ecosystems and enhance resilience to drought, wildfire, and climate change. Her work has been featured by National Geographic, BBC, NPR, PBS, Scientific American, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times. Fairfax teaches courses in environmental data analysis, data visualization, hydrology, and geomorphology, and is widely recognized for her engaging science communication and passion for beavers as natural ecosystem engineers.

Learn more about Emily Fairfax.

Learn more about Emily Fairfax’s research.

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What tree begins life looking more like a tuft of grass, survives repeated fires for years on the forest floor, and then suddenly bolts toward the canopy in a remarkable growth spurt? The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is one of the most unique and ecologically important tree species in North America. Once dominating the coastal plains of the southeastern United States, longleaf pine forests have been reduced to less than 5% of their historic range. Yet these forests remain among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the continent. In this episode of SilviCast, we explore the fascinating life history of longleaf pine and the silvicultural practices being used to restore these iconic forests. Join us for a conversation with Steve Jack, Executive Director of Boggy Slough Conservation Area, who shares insights from decades of longleaf pine restoration work across the southern United States.

Guest on the Episode:
Steve Jack, Ph.D.
Director of the Boggy Slough Conservation Area

Dr. Steve Jack is the founding executive director of the Boggy Slough Conservation Area (BSCA), a 19,000-acre property near Lufkin, Texas owned by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. In that role Steve leads the foundation’s vision for BSCA “to serve as a model of excellence for East Texas through ecological research and outreach to promote conservation, management, and stewardship of natural resources.” Prior to BSCA, Steve spent over two decades at the Jones Center at Ichauway in southwest Georgia, focused on the management and restoration of longleaf pine. He has a BS from Erskine College in SC, a MS from University of Florida, and a PhD from Utah State University.

Show Notes
The Longleaf Alliance
America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative
Silvics of Longleaf Pine (digital manual)
The Art of Managing Longleaf (book)
Ecological Restoration and Management of Longleaf Pine Forests (book)
Multiple Value Management: The Stoddard-Neel Approach to Ecological Forestry in Longleaf Pine Grasslands (outreach publication)

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Good silviculture isn’t just about knowing the science—it’s about building strong partnerships. One of the most critical relationships in forestry is the collaboration between foresters and loggers. Successfully marking a timber sale, for instance, means understanding not only the forest but also the equipment and capabilities that will bring the prescription to life. In this episode of SilviCast, we dive into the world of modern logging equipment used across eastern North America. Joined by Carl Lockhart, Forestry Products Consultant with John Deere, we explore how today’s machines shape on-the-ground decisions—and why aligning knowledge between planning and execution is key to getting silviculture right.

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Managing forests for carbon—and navigating emerging carbon markets—can feel overwhelming, especially for family forest owners managing smaller parcels. So how can landowners with just a couple forty-acre parcels participate in these opportunities? And what does carbon-enhanced silviculture actually look like at that scale? In this episode of SilviCast, we sit down with Brittany VanderWall, Lynn Riley, and Richard Campbell from the American Forest Foundation to break down the essentials of the Family Forest Carbon Program. They share practical insights on how family forest owners can access carbon markets, implement climate-smart forest practices, and make the most of their land—without needing thousands of acres to get started.

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