Common Sense Forestry

Mother Earth News Wiser Living

by Hans W. Morsbach, Robert W. Hutchinson (Illustrator)

Common Sense Forestry relates thirty years’ experience of an environmentally conscious woodland owner. Much of the book is devoted to starting a forest and how to maintain it. It answers such questions What seedlings to buy? Should your forest be monoculture or a mixed forest? What is the payback for planting and maintaining a forest? Is seeding a good way to start a forest? What kind of seeds work best? Does it pay to hire a consultant? What should he/she do for you? Does it pay to do much maintenance in your forest? How should I prune? Is timberland improvement worthwhile? How, when and whether to thin? How to herbicide and when? Can the damage done to nature by chemicals be justified by the benefits to your seedlings? What are the economics of woodland ownership? The success and history of German forestry methods is discussed and suggests what can be learned from these age-old practices. It will tell you how to file your income taxes, what equipment to buy, what works and does not work —and why. It also provides guidance on how to deal with state and federal programs. Although intended for private woodland owners, the book is used as a classroom text in universities. The book is more practical than technical, yet still imparts knowledge of basic forestry, explaining terms such as succession and shade tolerance and how to apply these concepts in practice. Even sophisticated concepts are covered in plain, non-technical terms. Hans Morsbach, the author, believes that forestry is an art more than a science. Competent foresters may apply different methods of managing their forests and achieve comparable results. Still, it is important to be guided by natural forest principles. Doing nothing may sometimes be a better course of action than doing too much. The book suggests ways to gauge your involvement with your woodland to time available and your personal preference. It is most important that you enjoy your forest.

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2002

Reviews

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This looks to be a great first book on forestry. At the very least it has lots of resources for where to go next with certain projects. I'm excited to become a better Steward of our woods.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you really get a kick out of trees, then I highly recommend it. If you don't like trees very much, then maybe you won't like it that much. You see, it's about trees and forests.

The author, Hans Morsbach, resided in Chicago for many years, at least through publication. He'd commute 3-4 hours most weekends to his walnut tree farm in Southwest Wisconsin. While he was researching for his own sake, realized that there was a lot of literature for the "experts" but nothing for the lay person, so he wrote this book.

Environmentalists should read this to get a scientific grounding to support their arguments against Weyerhaeuser and the clear-cutters.

I found this book to be really clever and hilarious at times, and it takes shots at the Forestry Academic Establishment which of course as we read is resting comfortably in the pockets of Big Timber.

One caption to a hawk-perch apparatus he built reads something like this: "textbooks will tell you that this design for a perch will attract birds of prey as a viewing station. In my case, the hawks admire it so much that they pay respect by avoiding it altogether."

There's another caption to a tree-felling wedge tool. I can't remember the tool's name. The caption read something like: "A . It is the only useful tool from a yuppie catalog I have ever owned."

He says, forestry's part science, part art.

I find it interesting that one forester will say, "NEVER do ," and another will say, "ALWAYS do ," and they vehemently disagree, well then they have to wait 50-60 years for the longitudinal evidence to come in to see who was right. I like the patience one must have to gather data in forestry.

Sort of like how the indigenous American/Canadian forest cultures have been successfully managing their forests for hundreds, thousands of years.

Why does the government subsidize corn and cattle but not forests?

Morsbach has successfully planted walnuts with conifers, alternating rows if I remember correctly, though all the experts advised against it. Experts meaning non-First Nation academics, of course.

I hadn't thought much about hedgerows before, but after reading this, don't ever try to tell me hedgerows don't have a place in North American agriculture and landscaping. I was surprised to learn a lot of powerful entities are adamantly opposed to hedgerows.

WHO?

The answer to that one, my friend, ain't free.

Anyway, I found it useful, entertaining, and I liked the aesthetic/biological arguments in support of biodiversity.

Published by Chelsea Green Press I think, and I don't know the specifics but it's definitely not printed on bleached pulp from monocropped beetle-ridden pine. That would've been pretty hypocritical.

[Thomas Deetjen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable narrative of the author's trial and error management of the forested acreage on his country retreat property, Common Sense Forestry teaches many lessons on land management and forestry practices from the viewpoint of a single land owner. It was entertaining listening to the author describe his viewpoints on various modern forestry practices and how he has developed his own techniques for making forest development possible and affordable for a single land owner.

This was worth the read just for the opportunity to learn about forestry in general, and I will read it again before I purchase any land.

[Susan Beecher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned much about growing trees. While I am not interested in harvesting trees, it was nonetheless, extremely informative about the best ways to encourage a diverse and healthy forest, which is not what most foresters are into.