John Lhotka

John Lhotka serves as Professor of Silviculture in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Kentucky's Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. His work focuses on sustainable forest management practices with particular expertise in oak-dominated ecosystems.

Dr. Lhotka's research interests include:

• Ecology and management of oak dominated forests
• Irregular and gap-based silvicultural systems
• Modeling tree- and stand-level growth in silvicultural contexts
• Forest structure-understory environment relationships
• Natural and artificial regeneration of forest communities
• Reforestation of disturbed lands
• Woody biomass production for bioenergy

His teaching portfolio includes FOR 350 (Silviculture), FOR 358 (Silvicultural Practices), and FOR 480 (Integrated Forest Resource Management), where students engage in hands-on forest management planning in real-world settings across Kentucky.

Dr. Lhotka maintains an active role in forestry education and research, with his work emphasizing practical applications of silvicultural principles to address contemporary forest management challenges while balancing ecological, economic, and social objectives.