Forest Regeneration: Perceptions of Natural Resource Professionals in West Virginia

It has generally been assumed that natural hardwood regeneration in West Virginia after a timber harvest or other disturbance will be abundant and successful. However, changes that are being observed in the seedling and sapling components of forest stands suggest that problems may exist with regeneration of desirable species. Factors affecting regeneration have been the topic of conversation among foresters and other natural resource professionals for years. To address the need for more information about this issue, we conducted a mail survey of natural resource professionals (NRPs) in West Virginia. The objectives of the survey were to determine how they perceive the quality of regeneration, their level of satisfaction with regeneration, the types of concerns they have, and the locations and spatial variability of their regeneration concerns. Almost half (49%) of 261 respondents reported they were dissatisfied with the regeneration they had observed. Eighty-nine percent had at least one concern, while 40% had three concerns. For two-thirds (66%) of NRPs, the trees they would like to see regenerate did not correspond to the trees they observed to actually regenerate most abundantly. In general, satisfaction with regeneration was highest in the southwestern, southern, and southeastern parts of the state