Recovery of Residual Forest Biomass

Abstract

Timber harvesting operations may be classified according to their silvicultural goal and treatment. In thinnings primarily low-quality trees are removed from an immature stand to maintain or stimulate growth of high-quality trees. In precommercial thinnings the timber is left in the forest because of its small size. In selection cuts single or small groups of trees of both low and high quality are removed from an uneven-aged stand in order to mix age and size classes of reproduction. In final cuts all the trees of a mature stand are removed for artificial or natural establishment of a new stand. If the removal of trees is carried out in one pass, the operation is called clear-cut. If part of the trees is left standing for seeding and to protect seedlings, the first phase of the final cut is called seed-tree cut or shelter-tree cut Biomass recovery may take place in any of these cutting systems.