Recent research on the management of hemlock–spruce forests in southeast Alaska for multiple values

This is a review of research findings from silvicultural studies that addressed information needs identified during the revision of the Tongass National Forest land management plan. A central concern of resource managers is balancing tradeoffs among habitat concerns, wood production, wood-product quality, and operability on the Tongass. This paper provides a historical overview of forest management in southeast Alaska and examines issues—and recent discoveries—related to the management of old- and young-growth forests for multiple-resource values. The studies reviewed here include a study of variable-retention harvesting in old-growth stands, an evaluation of the productivity of forested wetlands following clearcutting, an evaluation of the performance of a regional stand-growth model in predicting the growth of even-aged stands, and an assessment of the effects of silvicultural treatments on wood quality in young stands.