Tree Harvesting and Replanting Facts

Forests renew themselves by producing new trees from tree roots left in the soil after harvesting.

Timber harvesting benefits dense woodlands by removing trees that compete for sunlight and by providing more space for fewer trees to prosper. Good forest management often includes replacing trees that were harvested to minimize depletion.

Benefits

Tree harvesting is a way for large property owners to manage their forests responsibly, providing them with an income in the bargain. The landowner meets with a forest management specialist to work out a plan that includes what trees will be harvested and at what cost.

Significance

With increasing demand for lumber products, the shift is toward replacing trees lost through harvesting or through destruction from natural disasters such as forest fires and drought. Trees are replaced naturally or by replanting, using sturdier and healthier varieties with increased resistance to disease. Seeds for replanting are obtained from specimens demonstrating improved qualities and from wild stands of trees. Replanting is done through direct seeding, using young seedlings, or allowing tree roots to produce new growth.

Considerations

Reforestation decisions are normally made by forestry professionals employing several methods that include clearcutting, seed tree, shelterwood, group selection, and single-tree selection, according to the American Forest and Paper Association. Clearcutting, group selection and single-tree selection involve removing trees with an eye toward replanting, while seed tree and shelterwood methods focus on seed selection from mature trees and new trees regenerating naturally in areas shaded by older growth.

References

• Penn State Cooperative Extension: Harvesting Trees
• Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Timber Harvesting
• British Columbia Government: Facts About Reforestation in B.C.
• Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry: Reforestation
• Bugwood: Sustainable Forestry: Reforestation, Dr. David J. Moorhead, 1998