Timber Prescriptions

Recommendations

After measuring trees, determining volumes, grades, and values

What is the future goal of this site? Based on what is here and what you want to be here in

the future, how do you proceed?

More in Silviculture class

Prescriptions No Action – reserved habitat, scenic or old growth Regeneration Harvest

Even Aged or Two-Aged Clear Cut

Harvest, Salvage or Sanitation Seed Tree Shelterwood

Uneven Aged Group Selection Single Tree Selection

Intermediate Harvest – enhance Composition, Growth, or Quality Thinning, Salvage or Sanitation

Understory Management – release treatments (thin or Herbicide)

Clearcutting Most economical harvest method Mimics natural disasters Most potential to damage site

Using BMPs helps reduce damage

Better for genetics than high grading Unsightly Politically unpopular Not well suited to highly complex, multi-

tiered ecosystems like the rain forest

Clearcutting Types

Complete – includes removal of non-commercial stems Patch – small tracts within a large forested area

harvested creating a mosaic of different even-aged stands

Strip – trees removed in row perpendicular to prevailing wind direction to reduce windthrow

Cut with reserves – leaving certain trees such as snags for wildlife

Patch Clearcuts

Clearcutting - Then

Clearcutting - Now

Seed Tree Cut

Best for trees with wind-borne seeds (pines, ash, etc.) Requires 2 harvest operations thus less economical but

saves planting costs if successful (pines again) Seed trees susceptible to damage (wind, lightning, etc.) Less ugly and controversial

Seed Tree Cut

Seed Tree Cut

Shelterwood Cut

Helps regenerate more shade tolerant species Provides protective cover for developing stand Similar to seed tree but with 3 treatments

1. Remove about 50% of the overstory(~50 leave trees/acre)

2. Remove about half of the remaining overstory 3. Remove the rest of the overstory

Must take care to not damage regeneration during successive treatments

More visually appealing

Shelterwood Types

Strip – reduces damage to residual stand Uniform – spacing of residual trees Group – residual trees in small groups Irregular – residual trees left longer than normal Natural – let the stand dictate the process

Shade ToleranceShade tolerantAbies balsamea, Balsam FirAcer negundo, BoxelderAcer saccharum, Sugar MapleAesculus spp., BuckeyesCarpinus caroliniana, American HornbeamChamaecyparis thyoides, Atlantic White Cypress or Atlantic WhitecedarCornus florida, Flowering DogwoodDiospyros spp., PersimmonFagus grandifolia, American BeechIlex opaca, American HollyMagnolia grandiflora, Southern MagnoliaMorus rubra, Red MulberryNyssa spp., TupelosOstrya virginiana, Eastern HophornbeamPicea glauca, White SprucePicea mariana, Black SprucePicea rubens, Red SpruceTilia americana, BasswoodThuja occidentalis, Northern White CedarTsuga canadensis, Eastern Hemlock

Intermediate shade tolerantAcer rubrum, Red MapleAcer saccharinum, Silver MapleBetula alleghaniensis, Yellow BirchBetula lenta, Sweet BirchCarya spp., HickoriesCastanea dentata, American ChestnutCeltis occidentalis, HackberryFraxinus americana, White AshFraxinus pennsylvanica, Green AshFraxinus nigra, Black AshMagnolia spp., MagnoliasPinus elliottii, Slash PinePinus strobus, Eastern White PineQuercus alba, White OakQuercus macrocarpa, Bur OakQuercus nigra, Black OakQuercus rubra, Northern Red OakTaxodium distichum, Bald CypressUlmus americana, American ElmUlmus thomasii, Rock Elm

Shade intolerantBetula papyrifera, Paper BirchBetula populifolia, Gray BirchCatalpa spp., CatalpasCarya illinoinensis, PecanGymnocladus dioicus, Kentucky CoffeetreeJuglans cinerea, ButternutJuglans nigra, Black WalnutJuniperus virginiana, Eastern Red CedarLarix laricina, TamarackLiriodendron tulipifera, Yellow poplarMaclura pomifera, Osage OrangePinus banksiana, Jack PinePinus echinata, Shortleaf PinePinus palustris, Longleaf PinePinus resinosa, Red PinePinus rigida, Pitch PinePinus taeda, Loblolly pinePinus virginiana, Virginia PinePlatanus occidentalis, SycamorePopulus deltoides, Eastern CottonwoodPopulus grandidentata, Big-Tooth AspenPopulus tremuloides, Quaking AspenPrunus pensylvanica, Pin CherryPrunus serotina, Black CherryRobinia pseudoacacia, Black LocustSalix spp., WillowsSassafras spp., Sassafras

Selection Cut

Removes trees (either singles or groups) leaving an uneven aged stand (generally 3 aged).

More difficult to implement. Provides more economic returns than other systems. Protects site better than other systems. Best for Shade Tolerant species. Best for sensitive wildlife

USFS Regulation Classes I = Even-aged Management

Clearcutting with or without thinning Shelterwood with or without thinning

II = Special Conditions Non-timber objectives = Longer rotations than optimum for

timber III = Marginal Timber Yield

Single tree/tree groups for sanitation, salvage or hazard reduction

Stand maintenance (SMZ or highways) Regeneration encouragement Single tree/Group selection