Forest cutting and reproducing techniques

29.03 Environmental and Natural Resources I

Intermediate Cuttings

• Cuttings made between reproduction and harvest in a forest– Thinning– Liberation– Sanitation– Salvage– Removal of undesirable trees– Prescription Burning

Intermediate Cuttings

• The different types of cuttings are dependent upon:– Climate– Tree species– Owner and manager objectives

Thinning

• When only some of the trees in the stand are removed

• Reduces the competition for essential needs from other trees

Liberation

• Removal of the taller, dominant trees from a stand

Sanitation

• Cutting that removes the injured, diseased, or insect-infested trees from the stand

Salvage

• Cutting that involves removal of trees that are dead or damaged by storms, construction, etc.

Removal

• Removal of undesirable trees involves removing trees that could be compared to weeds– Forked trees– Crooked trunks– Pine trees in a

hardwood stand

Prescription Burning

• Controlled burning of the undergrowth in a forest

Harvest Cuttings

• Selective Cutting

• Shelterwood Cutting

• Seed-tree Cutting

• Coppice Cutting

• Clear Cutting

Selective Cutting

• Individual trees are selected for harvest based on maturity, size, species, etc.

• Goals are to produce an income and a better timber yield

Shelterwood Cutting

• Harvesting a mature forest in two or three stages

Seed-tree Cutting

• The entire stand is removed except for a few of the best trees that are left to produce seeds

Coppice Cutting

• Similar to seed-tree cutting

• Rather than remaining trees providing seed, the remaining trees develop root suckers to produce new trees

Clear Cutting

• All the trees in a stand are harvested at one time

• Most economical and most controversial

Reproducing the Forest

• Natural Seeding

• Direct Seeding

• Cuttings

• Plant Seedlings

Natural Seeding

• Allowing trees to naturally reseed to produce new growth

• Economical• Least amount of

control by the forest manager

Direct Seeding

• Applying tree seeds directly to the desired area

• Can be done by:– Hand– Seed spreaders– Grain drills– Aircraft

Cuttings

• Cuttings can be taken from existing trees, allowed to root, and then planted

Plant Seedlings

• Planting a nursery-produced seedling– More labor and

expensive– Allows complete

control over reproduction

– Tends to get results quickly

Plant Seedling Continued

– Some states offer government rebates to landowners who reforest their land after harvest

– The most certain and quickest way to reproduce trees