Commercial Softwood Thinning

Definition

Thinning of dense softwood 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

Softwood crop tree species: Red spruce, white spruce, black spruce, eastern hemlock, white pine, red pine, balsam fir, eastern larch.

Hardwood crop tree species: White birch, yellow birch, sugar maple, red maple (upland sites), white ash, red oak.

Stand must have health and vigour to grow for minimum 20 years. Must contain minimum 500 uniformly distributed crop trees/ha.

Guidelines and Assessment Procedures

• Maximum basal area removal: 40%
• Minimum 500 quality uniformly distributed crop trees/ha, minimum 12 cm DBH
• Crop trees: dominant/codominant, minimum 30% live crown, 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