Book excerpt: The current trend toward the establishment and care of forests for a wide combination of uses requires flexibility in forest culture and a knowledge of the silvicultural choices available to the resource manager. This publication summarizes for each of 37 major forest types in the United States the silvicultural systems that appear biologically feasible on the basis of present knowledge. Supporting information is given on the occurrence of the 37 forest types, the cultural requirements of the component species, and the biological factors that control the choice of silvicultural options. The text is arranged in regional sections suitable for reprinting.