Oak trees have begun to be replaced by maples in Indiana and elsewhere over the past several decades. Regeneration is important because oaks and hickories not only produce highly-valued wood products, but their edible acorns and hickories also support larger wildlife populations, Mycroft said.

Ultimately the researchers plan to develop a decision support tool that will help people like forest managers and landowners predict the likely effects of specific management decisions.

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The experiment will examine the effect of different management methods on endangered species like timber rattlesnakes, Cerulean warblers and Indiana bats, said Purdue Extension wildlife expert Brian MacGowan. Researchers also will study songbirds like the worm-eating warbler, small mammals like voles, woodland salamanders, box turtles, moths and beetles.

Another important goal of the study is to involve visitors and nearby landowners in the process by getting their input.

“As stewards of Indiana’s second-largest forested land base, the Division of Forestry thought the time was right to put in place a truly unique research project,” said John Seifert, head of forestry for the state’s Department of Natural Resources, a primary collaborator and funder of the project. “The scientific knowledge that will be gained from this research will have long-term impacts on both public and private forest management.”