Besides getting an illustrated book, your best bet is to join one of your
local environmental groups, like Soil & Water or Natural Area Guardians.
The members are amazing. Ask for help and they'll be all over your place
clearing undesirables and assisting with annual burns, supplying you with
seeds and plants from their collections.

--

Barry


"Dave K." wrote in message
...


The size of the trunk really shouldn't be a factor.
If it's a 1 inch oak tree, protect it
If it's a 24 inch Norway Maple cut it, burn it, destroy it.........

It sounds like your woodland was originally a hardwood forest til
beneficial
fires were kept from killing off non native and harmful fast growing
soft
woods which choke off the Oaks and Elms. That's probably a lot of your
undergrowth.

Thanks for the tips -- that's what I need, more direction on what to cut
down and what not to cut down.

I don't know much about hardwoods vs. softwoods ... are softwoods the
faster
growing weed trees? Are there any desirable softwoods? I don't think we
have
any Norway Maples in our woods ... I think I could easily identify a
maple.
I always thought maples were a desirable tree, but according to you and
some
others, the Norway Maple must be more of a nuisance. Anyway, I don't have
to
worry about that one, but there are some shorter trees in our woods that
look different than all the others and that I can't identify, despite
consulting a couple tree identification books. I think I'll have our
cities
arborist come out for a consultation.

Dave K.