Does anyone have any tips on how to bring an over crowded forest back to health?
I have a section of pines, some birch, some maple, and cherry. Unfortunately they are so crowded that they have basically rendered the forest floor "dead". The bigger trees are not much good for timber (crooked or split). And clearly I need to open the place up a bit.
Its an old overgrown pasture, but the trees are at least 30-40 years old.
What should I look for when deciding who stays and who goes? How far apart should the remaining trees be from one another? [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]
The area in question is a 10 acre swath of land up here in Vermont.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
What the state biologist and forest service people told us was that the trees should be thinned out to where the tops are not touching. This also stops pine beetles and such from spreading. Also without exception we were told to burn (controlled burns only) off the underbrush and forest matte. Disking would work almost as well but we were told burning stimulates new growth and new food sources for wildlife.
Mike
In my state, the local forestry department can also be contracted to conduct a controlled burn for a nominal fee on private property. I'm on their list for a burn in two wooded sections of about 40 to 50 acres total. They typically won't burn adjacent to a paved road nor near homes/structures. Contact your local department and discuss it with them.
But the idea of a controled burn scares the pants off me. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Anybody else? I burned a big pile last fall and that was intense! And this was with snow on ground in the middle of an 80 by 80 clearing for the house.
I can't see doing something like that in the middle of the woods. Call me a "fraidy cat". I'll have to investigate the laws up here.
My understanding of " controlled Burn " is when a specified area is completly burned. These are being done in many parks as it opens new areas for animal grazing. Usually it's done in a place where visitors can't see the burn.
Remember back a few years when a Yellowstone fire was allowed to burn out of control.
I'm a little curious how underbrush can be burned in a timbered area without harming the big trees. In fact in a mature evergreen area there will be little or no underbrush.
Egon
>>But the idea of a controled burn scares the pants off me.
Me too. I suspect up in vermont they are not done.
Even where they are done, and done by the "pros" they can get into trouble. Wasn't it just a couple of years ago where the "controlled burn" became out of control and burned dozens and dozens of houses down? somewhere out west I thought...
It scares the pants off me too!...And I have been a fireman for 28 years.
But I went to a conference yesterday given by Texas Parks and Wildlife on managing your property for wildlife. Almost every session had some discussion on controlled burns. It was the preffered method of management. Their reccomendations were to only burn up to 1/4 of your property per year on a 3 year cycle and not adjacent tracts to create buffer zones. They had before and after slides of the result and it was impressive. On our property it looks like we are going to have to burn at least some, if not all of it to knock back underbrush. Herbicides like Remedy could be used but are expensive and don't regenerate native plants like burning does. It was pretty amazing how dependant even birds are on new growth.
Mike
Ahh yes, remember the "controlled burn" in Michigan several years ago that was planned for about 5 acres to "save" the kirkland warbler (if I remember correctly). The control failed and I think about 40,000 acres burned. Now if the original plan was right, there should be gabillions of kirkland warblers in Michigan now. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
But the approach to contact your local foresters for the right information for the 10 acre improvement is the best plan. Sounds like a good firewood timberstand improvement (TSI) would be in order. Maybe even some planting after that, and/or after the controlled burns.
Reply With Quote
