Marco Baldi wrote:Are soft or hardwoods preferred? What is the best tree for Southern California? Does the book include a listing os best species? Thanks
Yes, agreed! Jack offers some great questions. Like most things,
the answer 'depends' on your specific context and needs.
When it comes to coppicing though, most 'softwood' (what most people mean here is coniferous species - those with needles and bear their seeds in cones) species do not truly coppice. There are a few exceptions like redwood, one of the junipers from the southwest, the pitch pine, baldcypress, etc. And it appears that many conifers will sprout if you leave a couple whorls of branches to continue to photosynthesize.
And what follows is that most deciduous (hardwood or broadleaf) species will coppice. But some may not do so very well. In terms of what's best for so. cal, it really depends on what you want/need to do. The book does include pretty extensive species tables and lists of species throughout. And, given the climate in your region, there are going to be many species that aren't included in the book since you have access to a lot more diversity. If you can follow up with more specifics about what you're looking to produce, I may be able to give you a better, more specific answer.