All Flashcards
How do you chose what trees to plant?
- Choose management objectives
- Climate (rainfall, exposure to wind)
- Elevation
- Disease, vermin
- Soil (pH, drainage, type)
- Aspect
Tell me about the process of planting trees?
- Bare root or cell grown 20 - 60 cm whips (evergreen will be bare root or small pots)
- Use tree guards or deer fence
- Plant approximately 2000 trees per hectare (end use will be 100 - 150 per hectare)
What are the planting systems?
- High forest
- even ages (all plannted or regenerated tgogether)
- uneven aged (all ages from seedlings to mature are present)
- Low forest
- Coppice
- Coppice and Standard
What is meant by beating up?
Forestry term which refers to the replacement of newly planted trees which have died
Name some management objectives?
- Primarily - often timber for best finaincail return, biomass
- Subsidiary - game/ conservation, biodiversity, recreation, enviornement (CO2)
What is a critiical maintenace measure in the frst few years of planting?
Weeding to reduce competition for nutrients and mositure
Methods
- Chemicals
- Multch
Describe the long term managemnt of plantations?
Once trees have established.
- Remove the guards as soon as they split and before they start to disintegrate (usually five to ten years after planting).
- Pruning: This is not essential but it will encourage trees to grow upwards rather than outwards once they’re established
- Thinning: This involves the felling of some of the planted trees to reduce the competition for light, water and nutrients. Trees develop a better shape, grow stronger and are less likely to blow over in adverse weather. (wind throw) Thinning wouldn’t usually occur until year ten at the earliest but it depends on how close together the trees were planted. Take 1/3 each time.
What factors affect timber quality?
General lack of forest managment, specifically damage due to pests such as deer and squirrel
What are the two methods of felling?
Clear fell or grandual felling
When can softwood be felled?
Any time of year
When should broadleaves be felled and why?
In the winter as sap has stopped rising
White hardwoods (beach, sycamore, ash are suseptable to staining if left too long in the round and felled in summer
From a conservation point of view, harvesting should avoid the nesting season, therefore some conflicts of interest can arrise
What is another influence that may impact harvest timings?
Drainage, 8 wheel forwarder or horses could reduce ground damage
What are the 4 ways to sell timber?
- NEGOTIATION - the most common method of sale since interest in small lots of standing timber has declined. Advantages: It enables you to build a relationship with the customer so that they can understand your objectives and become a regular buyer. The amount of time spent presenting your sale will be greatly reduced. Disadvantages: No satisfactory way of assessing whether you are getting the best market price.
- TENDER - traditionally the most common way to sell, it relies on having a parcel of timber that is attractive to several local buyers. Advantages: You can be reasonably assured of getting a good local market price. You retain a choice, selecting your customer for their care in felling, extraction and financial status. Disadvantages: Cost and length of time needed in presenting your sale. Likely to be a more protracted time-scale between the invitation to tender and contract signing.
- AUCTION - popular when the economy favours a seller’s market. It is often used for large-scale sales of softwood. Advantages: Makes the very best of a seller’s market where large volumes and quality are assured. Disadvantages: Loss of control in the selection of your customer by selling to the highest bidder.
- THE INTERNET Several options are open to the woodland owner. There are web sites that offer free advertising as well as sources of advice and information
Timber sales, what is meant by standing?
STANDING when purchaser fells and extracts - A given area will be marked out or individual trees will be marked or numbered in your wood allowing prospective purchasers to carry out a valuation. Advantages: You have little involvement in the felling and extraction operation giving you a positive cash flow without having to pay contractors. Disadvantages: You have less direct control of the operation which may create problems on sensitive sites. It could also mean you miss opportunities to add value.
Timber sales, what is meant by at stump?
AT STUMP Felling and extraction can be either by you or purchaser Advantages: This allows the buyer to see the butt end of the logs giving him more confidence in his valuation. Enables a price by grade to be established before felling and obtains an actual measurement on the ground, which normally gives you a better return. Disadvantages: A time consuming sale, needing an expert forester with a knowledge of all grades of timber. Not usually appropriate for low-grade broadleaves and seldom used in the sale of softwood