Small Woodlot Management

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Depending on what trees you desire to have regrow, regeneration after a clear-cut is accomplished either by sprouting from the stumps and roots of the harvested trees, by germination of seeds dropped before harvesting, or by direct planting of either seeds or seedling trees on the harvest site. If the harvest area is small enough, seed drop from surrounding areas may be enough to reseed the area.

Clear-cutting cannot be used with trees that regenerate poorly in full sun, such as maples and basswoods.

When used with the right types of trees, the biggest drawbacks to clear-cutting are aesthetics and erosion. Proper attention to erosion control can minimize erosion problems, but a clear-cut area will usually remain unsightly for several years after the harvest.

Seed Tree Method

The seed tree method of harvesting is really a variation of the clear-cut method. The area is clear-cut except for certain trees of the desired species that are left standing, either singly or in groups, to provide seeds that will replant the area naturally. After the seedlings are established, the seed trees may be harvested or they may be left to provide habitat for wildlife.

This method is used mostly in the southern and western parts of the United States, and it has the advantages of reducing planting costs and providing food and shelter for wildlife. As with the clear-cutting method, it works with trees that need or tolerate full sun as seedlings.

Even when seed drop is not needed for regeneration, such as when regeneration is expected from the root or stump sprouts or when seeds or seedlings are going to be planted or the seeds dropped, the shelter provided—especially if the trees are left in dumps—can be an asset to wildlife.

Seed or wildlife trees left need not be marketable timber. They can be deformed or otherwise unmarketable but should be free from transmittable diseases and parasites. Aesthetically, there is little difference between clear-cutting and seed tree cutting, with its resulting few seed trees to rest the eye upon.

Shelterwood Method

The shelterwood method involves clear-cutting relatively small areas within the woodlot, cutting all of the trees in two or more cuts. The size and shape of these clear-cut areas can be varied to fit the shade-sun requirements of the trees you intend to have regrow, as can the total percentage you cut in each harvest. Number of trees taken could be anywhere from a heavy thinning to half the total trees.

Depending on the size of the areas harvested and on the total percentage of the trees harvested in each cut, this method may vary only slightly from clear-cutting small blocks. This method works well with many gap phase species, with smaller cuts for the more shade tolerant species, and larger cuts for the more shade intolerant species.

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