OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Washington alder mill
Washington alder mill
Mature, natural alder stand
Mature, natural alder stand
Thinned natural alder stand
Thinned natural alder stand
Red alder leaves and female "cones"
Red alder leaves and female "cones"
Red alder plantation near St Helens
Red alder plantation near St Helens
Red alder plantation in the Oregon Coast Range
Red alder plantation in the Oregon Coast Range
Measuring HSC site
Measuring HSC site
Newly germinated alder plugs
Newly germinated alder plugs

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The Hardwood Silviculture Cooperative (HSC) is a multi-faceted research and education program focused primarily on the silviculture of red alder (Alnus rubra) and mixed stands of red alder and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

The Hardwood Silviculture Cooperative (HSC) was first established in 1988 by a small (and visionary) group of public agencies and industries. The HSC has been providing information for foresters interested in hardwood management for over 20 years.

The HSC has the oldest and most extensive red alder growth database in existence. The study design includes thirty-six study installations from Coos Bay, Oregon to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The goal of the HSC research is simple, to improve the understanding, management, and production of red alder.


At A Glance

HSC 2022 Annual Report - a look at current HSC activities (pdf).

HSC 2022 Summer Meeting – Was held on August 19, 2022 via Zoom. For the meeting minutes, click here.

Red alder Growth and Yield Model - Updated! - The RAP-ORGANON red alder plantation growth and yield model has been updated by the Center for Intensive-planted Silviculture (CIPS) using additional datasets containing older and larger trees. Evaluation of the updated model indicated improvement of density, basal area and stand volume on both control and thinned plots variables relative to the original equations. The updated is currently undergoing rigorous testing and will soon be publically available on the CIPS website.

"An Alder Day in the Woods"– Was the Washington hardwood Commission (WHC) Annual Symposium on June 16th. Here, we had the opportunity and privilege to tour operational, mid-rotation red alder plantations on Weyerhaeuser property in the Kelso & Ryderwood, WA area. Most aspects of operational red alder management were covered but special emphasis was placed on site productivity, site selection, plantation establishment, stand density management, and commercial thinning. The tour was jam packed with information which is nicely assembled into a pdf found at the following: http://wahardwoodscomm.com/2016_AnnualMtg.html.

Red Alder Symposium -On March 23-25, 2005, the University of Washington hosted a symposium to examine the economic, ecological, and social values of red alder. This link allows viewing of all the presentations.

Symposium Proceedings - Still the most up-to-date and complete resource regarding red alder biology and management - Red alder: a state of knowledge.

HSC Brochure - a brief description of the HSC, its history, objectives, and study designs.