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Oak and Fire in the Eastern U.S.

Prescribed Fire for Forest Management Series

Oak and Fire in the Eastern U.S.

Nov. 1, 2023

Dr. Charles Ruffner introduced the history of fire and discuss best practices when reintroducing prescribed burning to forests and prairies of the Central Hardwoods region. Dr. Wayne Clatterbuck examined the specific fire treatments and timings to affect sound oak management.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, this webinar recording is no longer available. We apologize for the inconvenience.

PRESENTERS

Charles M. Ruffner​, Ph.D.

Professor of Forestry, ​​Southern Illinois University

Charles M. Ruffner, Ph.D., specializes in old-growth forest ecology and fire history in his research and teaching, and is deeply engaged in service with professional and community groups at multiple scales. Charles’ SIUC Fire Dawg crew works closely with local agencies, landowners, and interest groups to reintroduce prescribed burning to forests and prairies of the Central Hardwoods region. He currently serves as an Illinois Nature Preserves Commissioner, and held recent leadership roles with the Oak Woodlands and Forest Fire Consortium and the Illinois Prescribed Fire Council. Charles leads study abroad groups to Ireland, Scotland, and Bavaria and completed two overseas sabbaticals in Ireland and Afghanistan. His involvement with farmers and foresters across the developing world includes work with both military and civilian personnel in Venezuela, Panama, Afghanistan, Dominican Republic, Lithuania, and Morocco.​

Dr. Wayne K. Clatterbuck

Professor, Forest Management and Hardwood Silviculture, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Dr. Wayne K. Clatterbuck is a Professor of Silviculture and Forest Management at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He holds an appointment with UT Extension. His responsibilities are in forest management education and include assistance to the county extension network in forestry, coordinator of the Tennessee Master Logger Program, forest landowner education, and continuing education for forestry professionals. He has been with the university since 1995. The primary research interest of Dr. Clatterbuck is in forest stand dynamics focusing on the ecological changes in species composition, stand structure and development during forest succession and following forest disturbance. His studies center in hardwood silviculture, particularly oak species, from obtaining regeneration to intermediate stand treatments and rehabilitating undesirable cutover stands. He is also interested in mixed shortleaf pine-hardwood silviculture including disturbance ecology. He directs several graduate students and is the instructor for the undergraduate and graduate silviculture classes.​

MODERATOR

Brad Hutnik

Forest Ecologist/Silviculturist, Division of Forestry – Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Brad Hutnik is a forest ecologist / silviculturist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Since 2012, Brad has served as a member of the WDNR Silviculture​​ Team.  As such, Brad currently works statewide on forest ecology and silviculture issues and has been involved with prescribed fire as a management tool throughout his career. Brad previously served as the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway forester (2002-2012) and worked as a staff forester at Clark Forestry, Inc. (1997-2002). Brad received a bachelor’s degree in forest management at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1997. He is a Certified Silviculturist (USDA-FS) and co-host of UWSP’s SilviCast podcast.​​

Additional Resources

Continuing Education

This webinar has been pre-approved for the following:

Certificates of completion are available by emailing wfc@uwsp.edu. Certificates will be emailed to you within 7-10 business days.

Resources

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