08/31/2026
Excellent information on timber harvest practice goals and definitions!
Hello and happy Forestry Friday! I thought that today I would share a little on what our common timber harvest types are for the Great Lakes region. Natural disturbances such as wind, fire, ice-storms, etc. are large drivers behind tree and forest regeneration, as they allow sunlight to pe*****te the canopy and reach the forest floor. When a forester prescribes timber harvests, the idea is to prescribe activities that emulate the impacts of these natural disturbances, and to do so in ways that accomplish both ecological goals, and the goals of the landowner. However, not all tree species respond the same to the same disturbances, and not all landowners have the same goals. This is why it’s important to have multiple harvest approaches, and understand their impacts. If you think you have harvestable timber, or have any questions about forestry, or other natural resource concerns, let me know! Thanks, have a great weekend, and be sure to water your plants and trees!
Forester Josh
🌳 Single Tree Selection: A targeted, uneven-aged method where individual competitors, damaged, diseased, low-vigor, poor form, suppressed, and/or mature trees are removed.
Promotes trees of different age and size classes, while leaving continuous cover.
Favors shade tolerant species such as maples (Acer sp.), ironwood (Ostrya virginiana), and American beech (Fagus grandifolia).
Pros: Forest looks more “natural”. Provides steady periodic timber revenue. Supports wildlife that prefer mature forest cover.
Cons: Careful, time-consuming planning. Can leave residual damage on nearby trees. Reduced tree and plant species diversity due to low sunlight.
🌳 Group selection: A method where groups or patches are removed from a stand (like a cookie cutter). Removed patches range in size from a fraction of an acre to a couple acres.
Creates stands with pockets of uneven-age and size classes.
Smaller patches allow less light to favor more shade-tolerant species like maples (Acer sp.). Larger patches allow more light to favor sun tolerant species like Oaks (Quercus sp.).
Pros: Creates diverse habitats and edge zones for wildlife. Improved tree growth as younger trees will grow faster, straighter, and stronger.
Cons: Higher cost.
🌳 Shelterwood: An even-aged, or two-aged approach where the goal is to create a single, new age class of trees under the protection of a partial overstory.
Mature trees are removed in a series of three cuts; preparatory, establishment, and removal. This leads to an even-aged stand.
Pros: Shields young plants/trees, and soil from harsh weather, wind, and sun. Maintains more forest structure that offers resources to wildlife.
Cons: Higher costs, delayed income, complex planning. Residual damage to young trees.
🌳 Seed-tree: Leaves a few mature trees per acre to act as seed source. Best for sun-loving species such as oaks (Quercus sp.).
Pros: Lower cost. Less labor. Quicker profit return. Seeds come from trees proven to survive on site. Promotes diversity.
Cons: Windthrow. Reduced profits through harvest intervals. Delayed growth. Residual damage to young trees. Uncertain genetics. Habitat disturbance.
🌳 Clear-cutting: Removes almost all trees in a designated stand to favor sun-loving species, such as aspen (Populus sp.), Jack pine (Pinus banksiana), and paper birch (Betula papyrifera).
Pros: Initiates rapid stand-replacing regeneration. Cost-effective. Continuous value through harvest rotations.
Cons: Unaesthetic to the eye. Soil erosion. Temporary habitat disruption through sudden change.
Also referred to as “coppice” clear-cut when cutting to promote multi-stem regrowth of aspen.
🌳 Clear-cut with reserves: Removes most trees. Leaves specific trees and/or snags behind for wildlife habitat and future structural diversity.
Pros: Wildlife habitat and resource retention. Protect sensitive organisms that may be harmed in traditional clear-cut. Cost-effective. Continuous value through harvest rotations.
Cons: Unaesthetic to the eye. Soil erosion. Temporary habitat disruption through sudden change. Windthrow of reserve trees.
🌲 Red pine: periodic thinning to promote growth of saw-log timber for final harvest.
🌳 Timber stand improvement (TSI) Harvest: Removes low-quality, crowded, poor form/vigor trees to promote access to resources, health, growth, and value of remaining high-quality trees.
