Forests

According to the WDNR, forests account for about 40% of the vegetation in Wisconsin’s Driftless region.vsn_hickory_unfurling

“The primary forest cover is oak-hickory (51%) dominated by oak species and shagbark hickory. Maple-basswood forests (28%), dominated by sugar maple, basswood and red maple, are common in areas that were not subjected to repeated presettlement wildfires. Bottomland hardwoods (10%) are common in the valley bottoms of major rivers and are dominated by silver maple, ashes, elms, cottonwood, and red maple. Relict conifer forests including white pine, hemlock and yellow birch are a rarer natural community in the cooler, steep, north slope microclimates.”

Publications

Wisconsin’s Natural Communities by Randy Hoffman, The University of Wisconsin Press, 2002.

Wisconsin Woodlands: The Managed Forest Law Program by Wayne G. Tlusty and Guy W. Rodgers,University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Publishing in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wisconsin counties, 1987.

Woodland Visions: Appreciating and Managing Forests for Scenic Beauty by Lowell Klessig, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Publishing, 2002.

Trees of Wisconsin Field Guide by Stan Tekiela, Adventure Publications, 2002.

Websites and Links

Kickapoo Woods Cooperative – Sustainable forestry services for landowners of the Kickapoo Valley and neighboring watersheds

University of Wisconsin Forestry Facts Series

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – Forestry

Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association

LEAF Tree Identification

American Tree Farmer System