Stand Management

1. Uneven-Aged Management for Hardwood
Most hardwood forests can be reforested following uneven-aged management systems, which result: in forests growing trees widely ranging in age and size. This type of management is compatible with tree species such as oak and ash.

Uneven-aged management is more labor intensive than even-aged ... and requires intensive planning. However, on the positive side, it can provide regular income without interruption for reforestation. This system also permits you to maintain a timber reserve to take advantage of increasing wood prices or as a source of quick income.

Since uneven-aged management depends on advance natural regeneration and regeneration after harvest to perpetuate your forest, harvesting operations must be conducted with care. For example, don't remove all the valuable trees leaving only the lesser quality timber to regenerate. Also, be careful not to damage the trees left in your uneven-aged forest. Retaining the services of a professional forester to select the trees to be cut will help ensure a quality harvest.

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Even aged pine plantation

2. Even-Aged Hardwood and Mixed Stands Management

Clearcutting a hardwood or mixed pine-hardwood stand will result in an even-aged forest.

Often, clearcutting can be beneficial particularly to correct past mismanagement or to help a forest recover from insect damage and disease. Also, clearcutting can be used to produce large plots of young forest habitat required by some wildlife.

Clearcutting small sections of your forest will protect its long-term environmental and economic values. This system of management relies on advance natural regeneration and regeneration after harvest for reforestation.

3. Even-Aged Natural Pine Management
In nature, pine regenerates best on bare mineral soil as is often found following significant disturbances (e.g., from clearcuts, fires, damaging storms). One can fool Mother Nature by imitating these disturbances. One such procedure is the seed-tree cut, an even-aged management practice that calls for leaving quality seed-producing trees randomly spaced in the harvested area where fallout of the seeds they produce germinate to regenerate a forest.

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Seed trees remain after harvest

In a few years you will find thick stands of young pine seedlings around the seed trees. And other vegetation will often spring up at the site to help restore the natural diversity of the area.

Once the seedlings are well established (from two to three years), it's time to harvest the seed trees. Before you do, mark out trails through the seedlings for the logging equipment to follow. This will serve two purposes: First, it will ensure the survival of most of the seedlings while, second, it will allow the logging equipment to thin out the thick stand of seedlings, thus helping ensure a healthy regeneration.

4. Even-Aged Plantation Management
Southern pine, particularly loblolly, is the principal commercial tree in the South. It is common practice to regenerate stands of southern pine through the plantation management system, which will result in an evenaged forest. Proper site preparation prior to artificial (i.e., planting seedlings) regeneration calls for reducing vegetation which competes for sunlight, moisture and nutrients and eases the task of tree planting.

Advanced planning is the key to successful reforestation after harvest. Keep in mind that seedlings are grown in a tree nursery and need to be ordered a year in advance of what in most cases will be a winter planting schedule. Be aware that exposure to sun and wind can kill the root systems of seedlings. Protecting your investment requires care in handling, transporting and storage prior to planting.

Advantages of the plantation management system include:
· Greater control over the number and distribution of your seedlings;
· Better seedling survival;
· Improved tree genetics. which enables a tree farmer to grow a bigger tree in a shorter
  period of time (now 15-20 years vs. 30-40 years several decades ago). Genetically improved
  trees are also more disease resistant;

Disadvantages of plantation management include:
· Higher initial costs of land preparation for planting;
· Cost to purchase seedlings;
· Actual planting expense.

Before making a decision to go with the plantation management system, ask yourself, "is it compatible with my other forest management objectives?" Here, again, a professional forester can help you sort out your priorities and options.

Adapted from Sustainable Forest - Key to Your Future! Alabama Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee.  Montgomery, Alabama

Some of the topics that will be listed in this section of the PFMT web site are:

  • Competition control
  • Crop tree release
  • Herbicides registered for release
  • Link to manufacturer’s sites for label and MSDS information.
  • Application methods
  • Aerial
  • Ground (powered) equipment
  • Ground (hand) equipment
  • Individual tree treatment
  • Timber Stand Improvement

  • Thinning

    • Thinning is usually performed to harvest future potential mortality and to increase the future size (diameter) of residual trees. Thinning typically REDUCES the total volume or weight that can be harvested from a stand during the entire rotation, but INCREASES the value of the final harvest.

    • Thinning trees that are merchantable can give the landowner an intermediate return on his stand establishment investment prior to final harvest (for even-aged stands).

    • Thinning may also be performed to maintain health of the stand. Thinning to prevent stress due to overcrowding is a good practice to reduce the risk of southern pine beetle attack.
  • Precommercial thinning
  • Commercial thinning
  • Fertilization

Costs for Common Forestry Practices in Alabama

 
If you have feedback or ideas for useful components for the PFMT web site, please contact us.

Most Recent Revision: 09/20/06
Private Forest Management Team
Auburn University, Alabama