ABSTRACT
Parameters such as basal area, overstory canopy cover, and midstory canopy cover can be manipulated through standard forestry management practices early in the stand development process. Management plans for longleaf pine forests often include some aspects of ecosystem restoration. This chapter reviews the concepts of ecological forestry, an approach that uses natural disturbances and natural forest development to guide silvicultural manipulations. It focuses on the Stoddard-Neel approach, using its conceptual framework as an ecological forestry case study for promoting sustainable management of longleaf pine forests. The chapter provides examples of management regimes for achieving restoration and maintenance objectives that are based on a range of initial conditions. The longleaf pine forests that remain are, of necessity, highly managed ecosystems that require frequent and ongoing management interventions. Historically, fire was the most common disturbance during the stand development process of longleaf pine grasslands.
