Anatomy of a Clearcut - Part One

The delightful stand of Bigtooth aspen you see in the photo wasn't always there.  This winter/spring celebrates the twentieth anniversary of its rebirth. Allow me to explain.

Fire, hurricanes and beaver activity are all forms of natural disturbance that contribute to the creation of young forests in both predictable and unpredictable ways. 

Keeping an open mind consider this - clearcutting a forest is a way to mimic natural disturbance – yet on your own terms. 

Nevertheless, clearcutting happens to be one of the most publicly maligned, emotionally-fraught and misunderstood of forest regeneration prescriptions known. 

As a consequence I want to talk about beneficial clearcutting.  Not wholesale cutting of the rainforest to create farm or ranchland. 

Not reckless deforestation practices or profiteering with no regard for the consequences to soil, water resources or wildlife. 


Rather, clearcutting and shelterwood cutting as part of any responsible overall forest management plan to make sure that the forest is sustainable and balances the needs of both forest owner and forest wildlife.  This would be cutting with the principal objective to regenerate the forest with healthier trees for both timber harvesting and wildlife.   

Jill and I conducted a small cutting of aspen – known as a patch cut – the winter of 1997-1998.  We felled 200 very old aspen along the north property line of our tree farm as a means of regenerating the stand. 

Aspen is Wisconsin’s most well-known tree managed by clearcutting.  This species is valued for its pulpwood and it provides outstanding wildlife benefits.  Sure, I know that with the mention of a clearcut some folks cringe.  They think they are unsightly and harmful to the environment.  

If conducted correctly clearcutting aspen can provide a variety of benefits.  Moreover, most people are stunned at how quickly the forest grows back. 

This and a follow-up post documenting the before and after are intended to dispel any dark and sinister preconceptions a reader may harbor about active forest management.  The truth of the matter is that actively managing a forest is hard work and the end results include many appealing benefits.

One benefit is that after a long day dropping trees, limbing branches and hauling brush - at quitting time the resident tree farmer gets to kick back in the winter sunshine and indulge in an adult beverage.

 

click on images for a closer look


Stay-tuned for a follow-up post.  Cheers!