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Updated Silvics of North America Project (USNAP)

To view this webpage in Spanish, click here.

To view this webpage in French, click here.

The Silvics of North America has been the go-to reference for foresters and natural resource managers in the United States since 1965 and is considered an essential resource for understanding the fundamental silvics and species ranges of important trees species in North America. While updated in 1990, the 30 plus years since have seen significant changes in species importance, improvements in understanding of species ecology, growth and genetics, and a better understanding of how climate change will impact individual species. Therefore, the USDA SE Climate Hub is co-leading an effort to revise this essential resource.

Read Bringing the Silvics of North America into the 21st Century from The Forestry Source to learn more about the need for this revision and how the framework for leading this project will be structured.

To see the key project details at a glance, download the  USNAP Fact Sheet  


Primary Contacts

Steve McNulty, Principal Investigator, USDA Forest Service, (919) 624-9782, steven.mcnulty@usda.gov

Cameron Stelly, U.S. Coordinator, USDA Forest Service, (713) 304-8071, cameron.stelly@usda.gov

Sébastien Meunier, Canadian Coordinator, Canadian Forest Service, sebastien.meunier@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca

Pedro Antonio Plateros Gastelum, Federal Representative for Mexico, National Forestry Commission of Mexico, pedro.plateros@conafor.gob.mx


Leadership Committee:

The Leadership Committee is divided into co-equal representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. The primary responsibility of the Leadership Committee is to provide country-level approval, encourage participation, and solicit funding and personnel to sustain the project.

United States

  • Toral Patel-Weynand
  • Cynthia West
  • Thomas Shuler

Canada

  • Amélie Roberge
  • Roxanne Comeau
  • Jean-Martin Lussier
  • Anthony Bourgoin

Mexico

  • Pedro Antonio Plateros Gastelum
  • Filemón Manzano Mendez
  • Patricia Hernandez de la Rosa

Core Committee:

The Core Committee is the primary instrument for 1) Developing the structure of the USNA, 2) Conducting peer reviews, 3) Evaluating the species and topics to include, 4) Evaluating topics from the current SNA that need revising, and 5) Soliciting members to the associated teams.

The Core Committee is subdivided into Species Group Teams which address the different chapter types, and Section Teams which address the standardized topics represented in each chapter. Each team will be managed by 2 -4 Co-Leads, and supported by 10 - 20 members. These teams include:

Species Group Teams:

  1. Coniferous Team
  2. Deciduous Team
  3. Exotic and Invasives Team

Section Teams:

  1. Distribution and Environmental Associations Team
  2. Regeneration and Management Team
  3. Genetics Team
  4. Insect and Disease Team
  5. Wildland Fire Team
  6. Drought Team
  7. Goods and Services Team
  8. Urban Forestry Team

Project Support Committee:

The Project Support Committee is designed to manage critical processes of the USNAP. This committee includes the following:

  1. Principal Investigator
  2. U.S. Coordinator
  3. Canada Coordinator
  4. Mexico Coordinator
  5. University Authorship Team
  6. Lead Editor
  7. Lead Technology Designer
  8. Translation Team
  9. Co-Author Pool

Maintenance Committee:

The Maintenance Committee is designed to manage future updates to any SNA chapter after it passes the USNAP peer review process, and is published online. All chapters will be assigned to a maintenance schedule to ensure that the SNA stays current and reflects the most recent scientific literature.


Get Involved!

Authorship Opportunities

Beginning in March of 2023, the USNAP will start accepting Lead Author applications for species chapters. This space will be updated with the new SNA chapter outline, the application form, and relevant instructions.

To see a list of all chapters that are currently available for authorship, click HERE.

Project Survey

If you would like to indicate other interests, such as volunteering for a Core Committee team or receiving email notifications regarding project updates, please fill out our survey by clicking HERE and we will follow up with any relevant opportunities or information.


FAQs:

To see a list of frequently asked questions pertaining to the project, click here.


Supporting Publications