In the United States and most of the developed world, when timber harvesting is not deforestation. Today’s forest industry is probably one of the most sustainable industries in the world, as tremendous efforts are taken to maintain healthy forests and a sustainable supply of timber. Toward this end, logging and timber companies often plant trees…
We are all familiar with maple trees and their majesty. We know their regal fiery orange autumnal colors and the rich (in more ways than one) maple syrup their sap produces. But who could forget about their–acorns!? Not so much. Maple trees do not produce acorns. Instead, they produce samaras, which you might know by…
Trees can grow so slowly it is almost imperceptible. To a casual observer, it can seem like they take centuries to regrow. It’s understandable then, why we might get sad or angry when we see a logging operation or log pile by the mill. Don’t they know how precious trees are? Will I ever see…
When do trees stop growing? The question may be asked by woodlot owners looking to harvest their timber or curious minds who gaze into the tree tops and wonder. In truth, trees never actually stop growing. As they reach maturity, their growth slows dramatically, and most of the growth volume is put on in width…
While partial harvests can appear to be a gentle and light-handed approach to forestry, “selective” harvesting can be extremely destructive and deleterious to long-term sustainable and profitable forest management if the harvests result in high grading. High grading is the practice of removing the highest-value wood from a tract of forest land and leaver less-desirable,…
When talking to a forester or logger, you may hear them refer to a “stand,” but what exactly is a “stand?” A stand in forestry refers to a group of trees comparable in species composition, stem density, size, and age. The classification of a stand takes into consideration both overstory and understory. For example, one…
Shelterwood cutting is a multiple-entry method of timber harvesting focused on establishing regeneration. During a shelterwood harvest, a stand of mature timber is partially harvested. Gaps are created in the canopy as a means of allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor. The residual timber spreads seed and helps to protect the understory from over-exposure…
Sometimes, there are just too many trees on a given acre of forest. Excessive competition can choke out individuals and hamper timber growth for decades. Foresters and woodlot owners use pre-commercial thinning, or PCT, as a way to limit competition. Pre-commercial thinning is the process of mechanically spacing out young, unmerchantable trees to improve species…
If you have spent any length of time exploring Maine’s forests, you have probably encountered a dense thicket of young trees. These are the kind of areas that can induce tears on a camping trip when you have no choice but to push through them carrying forty pounds of equipment and a canoe. They also…