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

610 Pages·2022·131.736 MB·English

by  Mark Krawczyk

FORESTRY / HOMESTEADING
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Cut and come again forestry — reviving the ancient practice of
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“resprout silviculture” to power local woodland-based economies
Packed with historical background and detailed research, this has to be the most P
comprehensive text on coppice silviculture.
— BEN LAW, woodsman, eco-builder, and author, The Woodland Way and Woodland Craft
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A book you should purchase for both your future security and that of your grandchildren.
— GEOFF LAWTON, permaculture consultant, designer, teacher and speaker I
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COMPREHENSIVE IN BREADTH and depth, Coppice Agroforestry is a richly-illustrated, practical 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. E
Contextualizing resprout silviculture historically, ecologically, and economically, Coppice Agroforestry explores

the potential of this ancient practice for modern times. Coverage includes:
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• A glimpse into the cultural history of coppicing • Assessment of existing forests for coppice potential G
• Tree anatomy, biology, and woodland ecology • How to design new resprout silviculture systems R
• A suite of woodland management systems • Detailed tables highlighting diverse species for O
COPPICE
• Details on dozens of handcrafted wood products, various uses F
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organized along a continuum of value • A vision of a modern resprout silviculture renais-
• Case studies of diverse coppice-based enterprises sance. R
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Over a decade in the making, encyclopedic in scope, and written by the hand of a woodsman, Coppice Agro-
S
forestry is a deep dive into this ancient practice, blending it with modern science, systems thinking, and tools AGROFORESTRY
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to bring it firmly into the 21st century.
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Whether you have a few trees or a forest, this is the must-have practical guide for homesteaders, farmers, Y
foresters, land managers, and educators who ally themselves with the remarkable resilience of woody plants.
Coppice Agroforestry is a comprehensive guide, based on science and practical experience, TENDING TREES MARK KRAWCZYK
to a truly perennial system for producing diverse wood products. FOR PRODUCT, TENDING TREES FOR PRODUCT,
— ERIC TOENSMEIER, author, The Carbon Farming Solution, co-author, Edible Forest Gardens PROFIT, &
PROFIT, & WOODLAND ECOLOGY
A masterwork of research and practice by a tree craftsman whose life partnership with trees WOODLAND ECOLOGY FOREWORD BY DAVE JACKE
started young and never stopped.
— BEN FALK, author, The Resilient Farm and Homestead
MARK
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, KRAWCZYK
and homesteaders. He and his wife also manage Valley Clayplain Forest Farm in New Haven, Vermont.
Praise for Coppice Agroforestry
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
A masterwork of research and practice by a tree craftsman whose life partner-
ship 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
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)
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
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 sustain-
able 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 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
Mark Krawczyk presents a true tour de force in Coppice Agroforestry. Thoroughly
well-researched, he involves the reader in the social history of forest manage-
ment, the science of tree biology, and a dedicated environmental awareness.
The text is thoroughly engaging and skillfully integrates information from
diverse sources into both a practical guide for homesteaders and a living
tribute to nature. For Krawczyk, that nature includes the people, past and
present, who live with and guide the course of ancient and ever-changing
woodlands.
—Kevin Smith, US Forest Service researcher
Close to 1.6 billion people, including 60 million Indigenous people, depend
on mixed-age, mixed-species forests for food, shelter, fuel, and livelihoods.
Nine out of 10 land-based species of animals and plants rely not only upon
their canopies, deadfalls, and roots, but also upon the myriad companion
vines, ferns, understory shrubs, and fungal forests. To see forests as obstruc-
tions to development, as national parks, or as something to be timbered or
removed is blind. To understand them as living providers of everything we
need, while regulating water cycles, preventing soil erosion, and helping to
keep our climate stable, is the wisdom of Coppice Agroforestry.
—Albert Bates, ESG advisor, NOAH ReGen, developer,
Cool Lab concept, author, The Biochar Solution
After a long career as a forester, tree farmer, and forestry educator, I sometimes
mistakenly think that there isn’t that much more to learn. Mark’s book has
shaken me wide awake again and the creative ideas are flowing. This book—
full of photos and illustrations that are as captivating as the text—has started
a new journey on how I think about trees, woods, and my beloved profession
of forestry.
—Brett Chedzoy, regional extension forester,
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Anyone passionate about trees and forests, and the functional role they can
have in our lives and vocations is sure to be delighted with this tome of infor-
mation, spanning the ancient uses of coppice and pollard to the practical ways
modern forestry and biology inform decision making. 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
After reading this, I will never look at a woody plant in the same way again. 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
Coppice Agroforestry provides an essential reference guide to the farmer, rancher,
woodlot owner, arboriculturist, and gardener interested in re-establishing the once
widespread practice of coppice woodland management for the making of pathways,
mats, furniture, hurdles, traps, snares, baskets and boats, and generating biomass
energy production. These systems that so beautifully maintain the renewal capacity
of the earth while garnering many wood products, provide the basis for a new vision
of human-nature interactions that will go a long way toward healing the earth while
honoring and celebrating our rich ancestral heritage in both the New and Old
Worlds.
—M. Kat Anderson, author, Tending the Wild
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

Copyright © 2022 by Mark Krawczyk.
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Diane McIntosh.
Cover Images: Main (top) and bottom right (fence) © iStock; bottom left—
William Bode; bottom centre—Ammy Martinez.
Illustrations by William Bode. Sidebar background: Adobestock 58151515
Printed in Canada. First printing June 2022.
This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a
guide. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk
that may be associated with the application of any of the contents of this book.
Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Coppice Agroforestry should be
addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the
publishers, order online at www.newsociety.com
Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
[phone]
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Title: Coppice agroforestry : tending trees for product, profit, & woodland
ecology / Mark Krawczyk.
Names: Krawczyk, Mark, author.
Description: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20220200203 | Canadiana (ebook) 20220200254 |
ISBN 9780865719705 (softcover) | ISBN 9781550927641 (PDF) |
ISBN 9781771423601 (EPUB)
Subjects: LCSH: Coppice forests. | LCSH: Coppice forests—Management. |
LCSH: Agroforestry. | LCSH: Coppice forest ecology.
Classification: LCC SD387.C68 K73 2022 | DDC 634.9/9—dc23
New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental
ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least
possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.
To our collective ancestors, human and nonhuman—
May we learn to cherish, hone, and build on the skills and wisdom
you’ve gifted us so future generations may enjoy safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives
rooted in reverence, stewardship, and connection to creation.
And to the trees—
Among our greatest teachers, nurturers, and companions
on this magical globe. May we cultivate relationships of reciprocity,
gratitude, and stewardship by listening, adapting, and tending in a
mutually beneficial way.
And Amina—
Our newborn connection to human succession.
May our generation help yours manifest a more
caring, attentive, engaged, and bountiful tomorrow.

Contents
Dedication ............................................................................................................................ vii
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. xv
Preface ................................................................................................................................... xix
Foreword .............................................................................................................................. xxiii
Introduction: What Is Coppice? ....................................................................................... 1
What Is It? ....................................................................................................................... 2
Dissecting Our Definition ..................................................................................... 3
Why Coppice? ................................................................................................................ 5
Why Is It Nonexistent Here? ....................................................................................... 6
Why Do It Today? ......................................................................................................... 8
Home and Community Scale Energy Security ................................................. 8
Local Livelihoods and a Culture of Craft ........................................................... 8
Preserving Native Forests ...................................................................................... 9
Leaving a Legacy ...................................................................................................... 9
Why Not? .................................................................................................................. 9
Purpose of This Book .................................................................................................... 10
Part I: History, Biology, Ecology, Systems, and Economy
Chapter 1: A Cultural History of Coppice Agroforestry ....................................... 15
Coppice: An Essential Prehistoric Resource ........................................................... 17
The Landscapes of Prehistoric Europe and Early Evidence of Coppice ....... 17
Resprouts in Pre-contact North America ........................................................... 26
Coppice in Europe: From Subsistence Resource to Market Commodity ......... 31
Roman Legacies: Industrial-scale Copses and Sweet Chestnut ..................... 32
Medieval Woodlands: Composition, Patterns, and Protection ...................... 33
ix