Treesearch

Most bottomland hardwoods grow on very productive sites-site index 70 or more. A fully stocked immature stand (table 1, fig. 1) requires tending throughout its life. The goal is to attain a stand of approximately 50 high quality trees of commercial species per acre at maturity. Releasing these crop trees can result in the cumulative yield of 2,000-4,000 board feet per acre and 30-35 cords of poletimber and topwood from the thinnings before the final harvest.

Mast is a broad term that refers to the various nuts and fruits produced by woody plants. It is usually subdivided into hard mast (nuts) and soft mast (fleshy fruits). Forest tree and shrub mast is an important seasonal food for many forest wildlife species.

Tree grading provides a way to evaluate the quality characteristics and value of standing hardwood trees. This is important because the differences in price between high-quality and low-quality end products can be very large. Since hardwood timber varies greatly in quality and value among species, within species, and even within specific geographic areas, timber producers and buyers know that an accurate tree grading system is an objective way to account for quality variation and provide a basis for negotiation between buyers and sellers.

Yellow-poplar grows in essentially pure, even-aged stands, so you can make growth and yield estimates from relatively few stand characteristics. The tables and models described here require only measures of stand age, stand basal area in trees 4.5 inches and larger, and site index. They were developed by remeasuring (at 5-year intervals over a 20-year period) many stands having a wide range in age and site index and thinned to varying basal areas.

The quality of streams and stream habitat for aquatic life and terrestrial animals in the central hardwood forest can be maintained or enhanced through careful protection, management, and re-establishment of streamside forests.

Managing central hardwood stands involves making choices. Each year landowners face at least three alternatives for managing a stand: (1) allow it to grow undisturbed, (2) undertake a partial or complete commercial harvest, or (3) culture the timber crop through a precommercial investment. Each activity affects long-term monetary returns. The "best" choice in a given year depends on your goal as a landowner, stand characteristics, and local markets. Understanding the economic elements of managing stands can help you make good choices and improve the productivity of your forest land.

The upland hardwoods stocking chart, introduced by Gingrich in 1967, has become one of the forest manager's most useful tools. The chart allows you to determine the condition of the present stand in relation to a stocking standard. The stocking of a stand is extremely helpful in prescribing various silvicultural treatments such as intermediate thinnings, improvement cuts, or regeneration cuts.

Site preparation-whether for timber and/or wildlife objectives - can influence the quality of wildlife habitat on the site and surrounding forest for the entire rotation period of the regenerated stand. The site preparation you select will help determine the species and numbers of wildlife that use the stand as the stand progresses from regeneration through maturity.

Is owning and managing central hardwood timberland a good investment for you?

Yields from upland oak stands vary widely from stand to stand due to differences in age, site quality, species composition, and stand structure. Cutting history and other past disturbances such as grazing or fire also affect yields.