Regrowing forests after harvest – whether by planting or natural regeneration – is a core tenet of sustainable forest management (SFM). National planting estimates on all U.S. forestlands range between 1 billion and 1.7 billion seedlings each year.
Many tree seedlings are sourced through cooperatives that bring together universities, forest sector companies, and government agencies to select and grow the best trees. Selective breeding – and not genetic modification – has resulted in diverse stocks of native species that are fast growing and serve as a safeguard against disease, insects, climate change, and other threats to species survival.
As a result of these collaborative efforts to produce superior seedlings, the productivity of forests in parts of the U.S. has increased by as much as four-fold since the 1950s and roughly doubled since the 1980s.
In some forests, natural regeneration rather than planting is the most effective and ecologically sound method. Natural regeneration techniques are usually selected before harvest and tailored to specific conditions within a forest landscape.
Whether planted or naturally regenerated, the key is that the forest is reestablished after harvesting.