With most of our surrounding area blanketed in snow, it may seem like a strange time to talk about forest regeneration, or the small seedlings that (hopefully) exist on your forest's floor level. I think its a great time to talk about seedlings. In the past, I've seen where seedling growth after a long-term "snow pack" like we're having this winter is phenomenal. I think a primary reason for this is decreased predation on new acorns (and other seeds) and decreased browsing on last year's seedlings (both by our friendly neighborhood whitetailed deer). The deer are not moving much this winter and we will see increased seedling survival come spring and summer. This is good news for those of us who are concerned about forest health issues. Check out Keep Your Head Down an article at THE FORESTER, available on Trees of Pennsylvania, under the Current Topics tab. This and other articles at THE FORESTER are designed for you to start thinking like a forester as you walk through and make plans for your own forest. Don't forget to post comments and questions about the articles you read!

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