The Forest Regeneration Manual presents state-of-the-art information about current regeneration practices for southern pines in the United States. Over 1.2 billion seedlings of five major species -- loblolly, slash, longleaf, sand, and shortleaf -- are planted each year. In 22 chapters, the Manual details fundamental steps in establishing successful young pine plantations: regeneration planning, including economic and legal aspects; regeneration harvest methods; propagation by seed and vegetative techniques; bareroot and container seedling culturing in the nursery; measures of seedling quality; site potential; -- environment, associated vegetation, soils; matching species to sites; site preparation -- mechanical and chemical methods, fire, fertilization; seedling handling before planting; planting practices and measures of regeneration success; promoting early plantation growth and management of competing vegetation, insects, disease, and wildlife.

Case studies and experiences with natural regeneration from the region have shown that natural regeneration significantly reduces the cost of restoration in areas that meet certain conditions. Native species that are adapted to the prevailing conditions re-establish on their own with some assistance, achieving accelerated growth in accordance with natural succession, leading to the recovery of native ecosystems. Restoration strategies based on natural regeneration also provide low-cost opportunities for conserving biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and watershed protection. This manual describes procedures from almost 20 years of FAO experience with assisted natural regeneration (ANR) in the Philippines and more recently in Indonesia, Cambodia and Lao PDR. In each of these countries, the method was applied for different objectives and convincingly validated ANR’s cost effectiveness. There is an increasing recognition of the benefits and advantages of ANR in light of the ambitious global, regional and national forest restoration targets, and there are considerable opportunities to expand the application of ANR through various restoration related initiatives. It is hoped that this manual can serve as a field reference in guiding the application of ANR for forest restoration.

Forest loss and degradation have caused a decline in the quality of ecosystem services around the world. But fixing the problem takes more than just planting trees; practitioners increasingly realize that a landscape approach is essential. This handbook, authored and edited by international authorities in the field of forestry, is the first practical guide to using forest landscape restoration (FLR) to repair the damage done to forest lands by poor land management practice. Using research backed by respected institutions such as ITTO and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), it explains how to increase the resilience of landscapes and the communities they support through FLR. The main aim of FLR is not to re-establish pristine forest, even if this were possible; rather, the objective is to make landscapes more resilient and thereby keep future management options open. It also aims to support communities as they strive to increase and sustain the benefits they derive from land management. This book explains the concept of FLR and guides the reader through the steps that must be taken to put it into practice. It is an indispensable aid for practitioners in all aspects of forestry and natural resource management.