Anatomy of a Clearcut - Part Two

In last week's post I outlined the basics of a cutting of aspen – known as apatch cut – that Jill and I performed during the winter of 1997-1998.  Speaking of which - it is a little-known fact that our wedding gift to each other was a brand-spanking-new Husqvarna chainsaw.  Yup, nothing says love like gasoline power tools.  

I digress.

The results of that patch cut project are in the lovely fall foliage in the photo. 

In case you are wondering - that also happens to be mighty fine wildlife habitat. 

In any event we felled 200 very old aspen along the north property line of our tree farm as a means of regenerating the stand.  Aspen requires disturbance in order to regenerate and without beavers or a big fire or windstorm we mimicked natural disturbance by means of cutting and dropping the aging trees.  The following photos chronicle the spring clean-up, construction of brush piles, skidding of logs and forest regeneration.





New aspen suckers sprout from roots and can put on 6 to 10 feet of growth in the first summer following a winter cut.  As a rule of thumb the suckers will materialize a distance from the remaining stump equivalent to the height of the tree that was dropped. 






Alternatively, if left undisturbed aspen live about to about fifty years of age and then decline and die to be replaced by shade loving species that have established themselves in the understory of the older aspen.  As aspen converts to its shade-loving successors the wildlife community associated with it will also change.   

Following a carefully planned clearcut within very short order - literally months - the site is lush with new growth that all sorts of critters love and with no resulting harm to the environment. 

White-tailed deer are attracted to the nutritious twig litter leftover from an aspen clearcut.  Later, the deer return to feed on the sun-loving plants that invade the newly harvested area.

The thickets which quickly sprout provide excellent hiding places, not only for does and their fawns, but for ruffed grouse. 

Grouse raise their broods in young aspen stands where they find both food and shelter from hawks and owls.  Other species benefit from the new growth including black bear, rabbit, woodcock and butterflies. 

click on images to enlarge

Many species of songbirds benefit as well.  This would include song sparrows, towhees, indigo buntings, chestnut-sided warblers and yellowthroats.  These are songbirds that seek both shelter and food sources in young, regenerated forests.  If you build it they will come.

Jack pine is another tree species that can only regenerate by means of disturbance.  In the natural order of things it would be wildfire that regenerates jack pine.  

However, since we suppress forest fires only clearcutting will regenerate jack pine.  While we don't have jack pine growing around here it is instructive to note that the Kirtland’s warbler - one of the rarest of Wisconsin warblers - requires young stands of jack pine.   

Forests are continually evolving.  One method of forest management is to do nothing at all and allow nature to take its course. 

For aspen the forest will change in a different way.   The trees will die of old age and lose their natural capability to sprout from the roots.   Making wise management decisions to actively manage your forest will keep it productive and beneficial for both you and for wildlife.  It is hard work for sure - yet the results are worth the effort.

From little sprouts...

spring of 2008

Grow healthy tree stands...

autumn of 2013

Raising a toast to sustainable forestry.