Commercial Hardwood Thinning
Definition
Thinning of dense hardwood pole stage (immature) stands to improve tree quality, growth, species composition, species diversity, and extend life of stand. Designed to promote growth of best quality trees for veneer and sawlog products, and provide quality seed source for natural regeneration.
Eligibility Criteria
Hardwood crop tree species: Sugar maple, red maple (upland sites), yellow birch, red oak, white ash, white birch, largetooth aspen.
Softwood crop tree species: White pine, red spruce, white spruce, black spruce, eastern hemlock.
Stand must have health and vigour to grow for minimum 20 years. Must contain minimum 250 uniformly distributed crop trees/ha.
Guidelines and Assessment Procedures
- Maximum basal area removal: 30% (reduced for shade tolerant species)
- Minimum 250 crop trees/ha released on at least 3 sides
- Crop trees: dominant/codominant, minimum 30% live crown, minimum 12 cm DBH, good health and form, potential to grow 20 years
- Minimum 15 wildlife trees/ha must be left/created
- Legacy trees retained and not damaged
- Minimize damage; maximum 5% damaged crop trees