Daniel C. Dey, Dr.

My research focuses on evaluating silvicultural practices to manage forests that produce the wide array of goods and services that land owners and society desire. I specialize in solving forest regeneration issues in hardwood-dominated forests in both uplands and bottomlands. Much of my experience is in the natural regeneration and development of hardwood-dominated forests and in the afforestation of bottomland agricultural lands. I have done extensive work with collaborators on determining historic fire regimes in oak/pine-dominated ecosystems throughout the Eastern United States. This knowledge is the basis for developing prescriptions that combine prescribed fire with mechanical thinning and harvesting to restore native forest communities such as woodlands and savannas, favor fire dependent species, reduce fuels and fire risk, restore natural ecosystem processes, etc. I model forest responses to specific silvicultural practices. I develop forest management guidelines for practitioners. i study the effects of prescribed fire on timber quantity, quality and value and seek to design applications of fire that minimize adverse ecological, economic and social impacts.

I plan on continuing my work in forest regeneration and restoration in primarily oak/pine forests, woodlands and savannas, and in the afforestation of bottomland forests. I am interested in wildlife and forest interactions during the regeneration process. I also am interested in developing regional regeneration models for the Central Hardwood Region. I am initiating new research in the silviculture of pine/oak forests with emphasis on shortleaf pine regeneration and development in natural upland forests. I am always interested in supporting and contributing to increasing our knowledge on fire history in American forests.

Forest managers often want to regenerate mature forests, to restore forests where they use to be, or to restore fire-dependent woodland and savanna ecosystems. They desire to shape the structure and composition of the forests, provide quality wildife habitat, conserve native biodiversity, and promote the production of a diversity of goods and services. Developing silvicultural prescriptions to accomplish these goals in an economical manner is a challenge. My research addresses priority issues in forest regeneration, sustainability and restoration in the northern region. I provide a better understanding of how forests respond to natural and human disturbances, and how management can be used to guide forest regeneration and succession. I evaluate innovative combinations of traditional silvicultural practices for managing forests, woodlands and savannas. I produce models of forest regeneration, which are useful tools for forest managers. They allow evaluation of current forest conditions and prediction of future outcomes for specified types of management. My work in fire and vegetation history provides an ecological foundation for forest restoration work. Ultimately, this research is the basis for forest management guidelines and standards.