Restoring a Diverse Forest Understory Plant Community with Variable-density Thinning

Dr. Eric Knapp 
United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
Pacific Southwest Research Station 

Dr. Knapp explains the importance of the forest understory – that is, the plants on the forest floor. He explains that the forest overstory and understory are substantially altered from their historic old-growth condition. Much of the change can be attributed to the absence of fire – humans put out fires that used to burn uncontrolled. Dr. Knapp presents two methods of forest thinning; methods which pushed forest stands closer to their historic state. However, long-term effects are still being studied. 

Recorded: December 6, 2013