Intro to the Forester’s Craft

or How is Scientific Forestry different

than just cutting down trees?

and getting towards

What is the “forestry” in community-based forestry

Introduction to Silvicultural Systems

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/training/00014/index.htm

BC Ministry of Forests

Forest Practices Branch

A silvicultural system …

is a planned program of treatments during the whole life of a stand designed to achieve specific stand structural (and species composition) objectives.

This program of treatments integrates specific harvesting, regeneration, and stand tending (TSI) methods to achieve a predictable yield of benefits from the stand over time.

Main silvicultural systems

Even-aged systems• clearcut • patch cut • seed tree • shelterwood • coppice • retention system

Uneven-aged systems• single tree selection

• group selection

Stand volume and

growth

Basal area

Site Index

Mean annual increment (MAI)

Even Aged SystemsThe stand overstory is generally removed in one harvest. New even-aged stands are regenerated after harvest within the previously cleared block.

Even-aged continued

ShelterwoodRetention

Some stands are “naturally” even-aged monocultures,

e.g. lodgepole pine

U. of Northern British Columbiahttp://web.unbc.ca/~lindgren/RESEARCH/mgraf/index.html

Parks Canadahttp://www.pc.gc.ca/progs/np-pn/

eco/eco5_e.asp

Alternatives to managing lodgepole pine

Itcha-Ilgachuz Alternative Silvicultural Systems, BC Natural Resources Canada

1934 CCC heavy thinning from below, OR Yale U, Global Forestry Institute

1934 Black Hills National Forest, SD Yale U, Global Forestry Institute

Uneven Aged Treatments

Single Tree Selection Group Selection

Size/Age distribution in Uneven-aged systems

Lonnie E. Varnedoe, Jr., University of Georgia

http://warnell.forestry.uga.edu/service/library/b1032/index.html

Prince Edward IslandInstitute of island Studies,U. of PEI

http://www.upei.ca/islandstudies/rep_wm_1.htm

Some take home messages …

• Via silviculture, one can manipulate vegetation (cut & grow) to achieve different objectives – timber, wildlife, pest management, aesthetics, “late successional” characteristics, fuels reduction, etc.

• Don’t confuse the tools with the goals.

• Good management costs money! Usually more money than we can get from the private goods produced.

Beyond silviculture …

What else does a forester do?– Develop management plan that includes:

• Silvicultural objectives, systems & calculated outcomes• Harvest technology• Road systems• Soil erosion & compaction prevention and mitigation• Protected areas – wetlands, riparian, TES, cultural features• Maps

– Connection to markets & community & ecology– Communicate with landowners, public, agencies,

neighbors, loggers, mills– Keep abreast of regulations & best practices

So how is forestry in community forestry different?

• It might not be …– Same suite of tools can achieve different objectives

• Broader objectives – Reflecting a diverse community– Local participation & benefit– Triple bottom line: ecological , social, economic

• Learning and Monitoring– Adaptive management areas– Pilots, demos, experiments– Local knowledge & breaking science

Examples to come …