Forest Restoration Planner — Interactive Tool

How the Planner Works

1. Choose an approach — Full Mix plants a complete diverse mix across all layers, scaled to your tree count. Management-First shifts weights toward species that won’t arrive in time (hickories, conifers) and auto-zeros species that arrive naturally through bird dispersal and stump-sprouting.

2. Set your total — Enter how many trees you want to plant. Full Mix scales to any number; Management-First suggests 150 (5 acres) or 250 (10 acres).

3. Override anything — Type a number in the yellow "Override" column. The other species in that group redistribute proportionally to compensate.

4. Export or print — Download your species list as a CSV or print for ordering.

Full Mix — Every ecological layer is represented. Enter your total trees and the planner scales everything automatically. For multi-year plantings, order in thirds (~120 trees/year) and diversify every year — don't save understory and conifers for later. Weight oaks and hickories a little heavier in Year 1, but each year's order should stand alone as a complete planting. Full approach details →

Management-First is active. Group weights have shifted to emphasize hickories and conifers — the species that won’t arrive in time without planting (slow dispersal, no nearby seed source, or specific germination requirements). Oaks (0%) should be direct-seeded from nearby legacy trees at no cost. Serviceberry, hop-hornbeam, and chestnut oak are auto-zeroed — they arrive naturally through bird dispersal and stump-sprouting; when found during your survey, protect them with wire cages. Save your budget for what won’t come on its own. Full approach details →

Plan

Total Trees to Plant

Total Shrubs (separate)

Property Size (acres) — optional

Planned Total

—

Species

Default

Your Count

Actual

Shrubs — separate count, not included in tree total

Research shows diverse shrubs increase total forest biomass by 50%+ — plant alongside every plan.

Target

—

Shrub Species

Default

Override

Count

Protection note: Yellow cells = plastic tube (oaks, hickories, cherry, walnut). Blue = wire cage (sugar maple, hemlock, birch, spruce, serviceberry, dogwood). PSU 2024 research: plastic tubes reach 30°F above ambient — damaging to cool-adapted species.

Group Allocation by Approach

Ecological Group	Full Mix	Management-First	Management-First Notes
Gap-Filling Canopy Oaks	22%	0%	Direct seed acorns from legacy trees — free and locally adapted
Moist-Slope Canopy	15%	25%	Sugar maple, yellow birch, basswood — won't establish without help
Ridge & Dry-Slope	15%	35%	Hickory-dominant; chestnut oak auto-zeroed (arrives naturally)
Pioneers / Fast-Fill	8%	0%	Arrive naturally via clonal spread and bird/wind seed dispersal
Conifers	12%	28%	No natural seed source at 2,000ft — must be planted
Understory	15%	7%	Pagoda dogwood only; serviceberry + hop-hornbeam arrive naturally
Fruiting / Flowering	8%	0%	Skip — budget goes to hickory and conifers first
Notable Specialty	5%	5%	Same in both approaches