Coppice Agroforestry: Tending Trees for Product, Profit, and Woodland Ecology

by Mark Krawczyk

Overview

Cut and come again forestry – reviving the ancient practice of resprout silviculture to power local woodland-based economies.

Coppice Agroforestry is a richly illustrated, comprehensive guide to resprout silviculture – managing trees and shrubs by coppicing, pollarding, shredding, and pleaching – for a continuous supply of small diameter polewood for products from firewood to fine furniture.

Contextualizing resprout silviculture historically, ecologically, and economically, Coppice Agroforestry explores the potential of this ancient practice for modern times. Coverage includes:

• The cultural history of coppicing in Europe and North America
• Tree and shrub anatomy, biology, and woodland ecology
• A suite of woodland management systems
• Dozens of handcrafted wood products on a continuum of value, offering a wide range of business opportunities
• Case studies of diverse coppice-based enterprises
• Assessing existing forests for coppice potential
• Designing new resprout silviculture systems
• Tables highlighting diverse species for various uses
• A vision of a modern resprout silviculture renaissance.

A decade in the making, encyclopedic in scope, and written by the hand of a woodsman, Coppice Agroforestry is a deep dive into this ancient practice, blending it with modern science, systems thinking, and tools to land it firmly into the 21st century.

Whether you have a few trees or an entire forest, Coppice Agroforestry is the must-have practical guide for homesteaders, farmers, foresters, land managers, and educators who ally themselves with the remarkable resilience of woody plants.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771423601
Publisher:	New Society Publishers
Publication date:	07/05/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	576
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mark Krawczyk is an applied ecologist, educator, and grower incorporating permaculture design, agroforestry, natural building, traditional woodworking, and small-scale forestry. He owns and operates Keyline Vermont LLC, providing farmers, homeowners, and homesteaders with education, design, and consulting services. He and his wife also manage Valley Clayplain Forest Farm, 52 acres of field and forest in New Haven, Vermont.

Mark Krawczyk owns and operates Keyline Vermont LLC, teaching, designing, and consulting on permaculture design, agroforestry, natural building, traditional woodworking, and small-scale forestry for farmers, homeowners, and homesteaders. He and his wife manage Valley Clayplain Forest Farm in New Haven, Vermont.

Table of Contents

Dedication
Acknowledgments
Preface
Foreword

Introduction: What Is Coppice?
What Is It?
   Dissecting Our Definition
Why Coppice?
Why Is It Nonexistent Here?
Why Do It Today?
   Home and Community Scale Energy Security
   Local Livelihoods and a Culture of Craft
   Preserving Native Forests
   Leaving a Legacy
   Why Not?
Purpose of This Book

PART 1: HISTORY, BIOLOGY, SYSTEMS, AND ECONOMY

Chapter 1: A Cultural History of Coppice Agroforestry
Coppice: An Essential Prehistoric Resource
   The Landscapes of Prehistoric Europe and Early Evidence of Coppice
   Resprouts in Pre-contact North America
Coppice in Europe: From Subsistence Resource to Market Commodity
   Roman Legacies: Industrial-scale Copses and Sweet Chestnut
   Medieval Woodlands: Composition, Patterns, and Protection
   The Manorial System: Private Ownership and Wooded Commons
Coppice in the Emerging Market Economy
   Charcoal for Industry Boosts Coppice Production
   Shifting Products, Markets, and Management
The Near Extinction of Coppicing
   The Rise of Modern Forestry
   Coppice in Colonial and Industrial North America?
Revival? Coppicing for the 22nd Century
   European Revival
Recapitulation: Crafting Regenerative Resprout Silviculture

Chapter 2: The Anatomy and Physiology of Woody Plants
Woody Plant Organs and Tissues
   Primary Organs: Crown, Trunk, and Roots
   Woody Plant Forms: Overall Aboveground Architecture
   Meristems: Tissues Capable of Division
   Wood and Bark: Tissues of the Trunk
Tree Growth, Development, Life Span, and Decay
   Generalized Growth Pattern: Nested Cones
   Woody Plant Growth Habits: Above- and Belowground
      Plant Growth Patterns
   The Timing and Pattern of Seasonal Growth
   Tree Health and Life Span: An Energetic Balancing Act
Sprouts and Resprouts
   The Adaptive Utility of the Ability to Resprout
   Anatomy and Physiology of Angiosperm Sprouting
Conclusion

Chapter 3: Ecology of Coppice Systems
The Economy of Forest Ecosystems
Natural Communities and Forest Cover Types
Effects of Coppice on Community Ecology and Biodiversity
  Key Differences Between Coppice and High Forest   
  Forest Growth Stages
   Forest Gap Formation
  Effects of Disturbance on Ground Layer Populations
  Growth Stages and Microclimate
  Effects of Access Rides and Woodland Roadways
  Coppice and Bird Species
  Coppice and Small Mammal Populations
  Coppice and Deer
  Coppice and Invertebrates
  Butterflies
  Deadwood
  Nutrient Dynamics in Coppice Woods
  Soil-Water Dynamics
A Conservation Panacea?

Chapter 4: Woodland Management Systems
Systems Framework
  Species
  Economy
  Disturbance Severity
  Disturbance Chronology
  Landscape Pattern
Resprout Silviculture Systems both Historic and Modern
  Adding Trees to Fields
  Woodland-based Systems
Other Types of Resprout Silviculture
  Shredding
  Stooling
  Own-root Fruit Trees
  Stump Culture or Coppiced Christmas Trees
Silvicultural Foundations of High Forest Management
  High Forest Management Systems
Putting it All Together: Choosing the Right System for Your Landscape and Needs

Chapter 5: Coppice Economics and Products
Markets
The Value-added Continuum
Business Development
Working Along the Value-added Continuum from Low to High
  Woodchips: Biofuel, Soil-improving Mulches, Woodchip-Clay
  Fodder
  Fuelwood
  Faggots
  Charcoal
  Carbon Farming
  Garden Products
  Holiday Ornamentation
  Culinary and Medicinal Mushrooms
  Food/Medicine/Wine
  Fencing
  Shelterbelts/Windbreaks/Soundbreaks
  Hedges
  Specialized Traditional Crafts
  Baskets
  Rustic Furniture
  Green Woodworking
  Building and Construction Materials
  Buildings
  Modern Product Potential
Matching Production Systems to Regional Climate and Production Needs
Financial Assistance to Support Coppice Management
Forestry Cooperatives
Conclusion

PART II: 21st CENTURY COPPICE: A MODERN INTEGRATION

Chapter 6: Listening to the Land: The Art of Ecological Design
A Synthesis of Strategies
The Silvicultural Standard: Forest Management Plans
  Working with a Professional: The Role of Foresters
Goals and Management Objectives
Mapping
  GIS Mapping
  Mapping Forest Stands
Site Analysis
  Yeomans' Scale of Permanence
  Stand-specific Assessments
System Design
  Cant Size, Rotation Length, and Layout
  The Circulatory System: Access and Extraction Routes
  Water Sources and Supply
  Fodder and Fence System Design
  Basket Willow Systems
  Managing for Wildlife
A Coppice Pattern Language: Design Details and Criteria
Designing Cultivated Ecologies: Multistoried, Multifunctional Guild Design
Temporal Design: Cant Establishment and Harvest Schedules
Putting Down the Pencil and Picking Up the Shovel

Chapter 7: Getting Started: Establishing Coppice on Your Land
Woodland Conversion
  Existing Stand Dynamics and Their Effects on Cant Development
  Natural Regeneration: Restocking Forest Stands
  Prescribed Burns
Conclusion
Field Transformation
  Species
  Layout and Spacing
  Ground Prep
  Planting Techniques
  Planting a Hedgerow
Maintenance and Protection
  Tree Shelters
  Irrigation
Projecting Costs
Keeping Records Is Key

Chapter 8: Coppice Management and Harvest
First Harvest Cycle: Coppice Establishment
  When to Cut
  Where to Cut
  When to Initiate Coppicing
Pollarding
  Preparing a Tree for Pollarding
  How and Where to Cut
  Accessing and Harvesting Pollards
  Timing
  Disturbance Chronology
Managing Hedgerows
  The Art of Hedgelaying
Tools and Felling Techniques
  Specialized Pollarding Tools
  Felling
Snedding or Limbing
Cross-cutting and Product Selection
Extraction
Storing Products
Cant Management
Maintenance Inputs
  Stand Improvement
  Pest and Weed Control
  Access
Restoring Overstood Coppice

Epilogue
Appendix 1: Additional Resources
Appendix 2: Yield and Species-by-Use Tables
Species-by-Use Table Bibliography
Endnotes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
A Note About the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

"Mark's magnum opus has finally landed and it is well worth the wait! Packed with historical background and detailed research, this has to be the most comprehensive text on coppice silviculture. Supported by Mark's practical knowledge and understanding of the importance of ecological design, he weaves the ancient knowledge of practical craft and coppice management into future sustainable land use systems. A wealth of appendices will appeal to those planning future forests and agroforestry systems, and above all he entices the reader to sharpen a billhook and begin to coppice."
— Ben Law, woodsman, eco-builder, and author, The Woodland Way and Woodland Craft

"Without a doubt the finest work on the history and the "how" and the "why" of coppice forestry, a widespread practice of the past that will no doubt play a crucial role in our future. Learn how we can harvest trees and still have forests, too!"
— Mark Shepard, coppice agroforester, author, Restoration Agriculture and Water for any Farm

"This classic book covers the ancient and much forgotten craft of coppicing. This essential sustainable skill not only must be revived but also expanded to suit new geographies and species and create more possibilities than ever before. Mark has written a book you should purchase for both your future security and that of your grandchildren."
— Geoff Lawton, permaculture consultant, designer, teacher, and speaker (permacultureconsultants.com)

"Coppicing is an essential component of climate-friendly agriculture and land management. Coppice Agroforestry is a comprehensive guide, based on science and practical experience, to a truly perennial system for producing diverse wood products. Krawczyk's book will be inspiring readers to coppice for decades to come."
— Eric Toensmeier, author, The Carbon Farming Solution, co-author, Edible Forest Gardens

"Rich in history, culture, botany, and practice, this remarkable work shows exceptional scholarship, dedication, and experience. Krawczyk, who has bridged the Atlantic world, is a worthy successor to Rackham, and just the interpreter of coppice North Americans need to create their own thriving backwoods industries. Ten years in the making, it could not be more timely. Buy it. Read it. Live it."
— Peter Bane, author, The Permaculture Handbook, executive director, Permaculture Institute of North America

"If you own forested land and want to manage it sustainably, this book is a must-read. It's teeming with useful information that will help build a sustainable future and help readers become more self-sufficient."
— Dan Chiras, author, The Chinese Greenhouse, The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy, and Power from the Sun

"A masterwork of research and practice by a tree craftsman whose life partnership with trees started young and never stopped. This manual is vast, practical, and astonishing in depth and relevance. It will likely be the go-to authority on utilizing trees in coppicing contexts for many decades to come. It is also a relevant resource for anyone in woody plant horticulture, agroforestry, and ecological restoration as a whole."
— Ben Falk, author, The Resilient Farm and Homestead

"A well-written and comprehensive body of work that celebrates a commonly referenced but often misunderstood facet of perennial polyculture farming. Krawczyk's subject mastery and the delight with which he shares it will surely advance the field of coppice silviculture, and inspire use of the techniques he commands and cherishes."
— Dr. John Munsell, professor and forest management extension specialist, Virginia Tech

"Krawczyk's writing is a pleasure to consume and the breadth of information is a testament to his lifetime of devotion to the topic. The abundance of pictures, diagrams, and charts helps any reader chart a course to successful coppicing and envision a future where resprout agriculture persists in landscapes everywhere."
— Steve Gabriel, farmer, author, Silvopasture, and co-author Farming the Woods

From the Publisher

06/01/2022

Ecologist and educator Krawczyk created the handbook he wished he'd had when studying coppice forestry—a practice based on the idea that stumps of trees regenerate into sprouts that grow. People have practiced this method all over the world throughout history, but it was lost among the early European settlers in North America. This book looks at how bringing back coppice forestry could help with problems such as resource depletion. Krawczyk lays out everything: the history of coppice, its importance to ecology and economy, and how to practice it. Illustrations and photographs support the text. The detailed book even touches on "tool sharpening and care." Using an approachable writing style, the author explains potentially unfamiliar concepts. Unknown words or phrases also appear in bold to indicate their inclusion in the glossary. Because it is more of a manual than a leisurely read, average readers will likely skip this. However, readers who are dedicated to practicing coppice management or simply like bulky books on nature will enjoy. VERDICT A specific audience will greatly appreciate this clear and comprehensive text.—Elissa Cooper

Library Journal