A healthy, diverse forest with a vigorous oak component mixed in with less palatable trees is best. Consider planting the Chinese sawtooth oak , a very heavy acorn producer available from the state seedling nursery and commercial nurseries in Tennessee. Chestnuts grow well on dry sites. Protect rare plants and animals and their habitat . Leave uncut mature forest cover in areas where your main management objective is to favor plant and animal communities dependent on that habitat.
Plant stands of evergreens in hardwood forests.
Burn under yellow pine to improve browse. Spot burn small openings to maintain foods. Good small trees and shrubs include Chinese chestnut, dogwood, redbud, persimmon, plum, sawtooth oak, shrub lespideza, crabapple, hawthorn, sumac, hazelnut, and paw paw. Place these along forest edges to make edges more useable. Seed roadsides and unused roads , following the recommendations for site preparation, seeding rates and timing, and fertilizer application.