Silviculture 101: Systems and Terminology

Question 1

Planned program of treatments over the entire life of the stand

Answer 1

Silvicultural Systems

Question 2

What do silvicultural systems include?

Answer 2

1. Regeneration treatments
2. Tending operations
3. Intermediate treatments
4. Protection measures

Question 3

What are the phases of silviculture and their equivalent stages of stand development?

Answer 3

1. Regeneration = Stand initiation stage
2. Tending = Stem Exclusion stage
3. Harvest = Understory reinitiating stage

Question 4

The procedure by which the stand is established and renewed

Answer 4

Regeneration methods

Question 5

Silvicultural systems are named after what?

Answer 5

Regeneration method

Question 6

An approach that combines regeneration methods in the same stand or harvest unit

Answer 6

Hybrid approaches

Question 7

2 Classification of Silvicultural Systems

Answer 7

1. Origin (Sources of regeneration)

2. Age class (Arrangement of cuttings in time)

Question 8

Rely largely on vegetative regeneration from stump sprouts, root suckers, or layered branches

Answer 8

Low-forest Methods

Question 9

Any type of cutting in which dependence is placed mainly on vegetative reproduction

Answer 9

Coppice Method

Question 10

Regeneration of stands based on sexual reproduction (germinated seed)

Answer 10

High-forest methods

Question 11

Entire community of mature trees is removed in one or more cuttings over a short interval of time to allocate growing space to a new, even-aged cohort

Answer 11

Even-age methods

Question 12

3 Methods under Even-aged

Answer 12

1. Clearcutting method
2. Seed-tree method
3. Shelterwood method

Question 13

Removal of the entire stand in one cutting

Answer 13

Clearcutting method

Question 14

In clearcutting method, regeneration occurs following ____, either through _____ or _______ after harvest

Answer 14

Harvest, artificial or seeds germinating after harvest

Question 15

Removal of the old stand in one cutting, except for a small number of seed trees left singly or in small groups

Answer 15

Seed-tree method

Question 16

Provide for establishment of advance regeneration

Answer 16

Seed trees

Question 17

Removal of old stand in a series of cuttings extending over a relatively short portion of the rotation

Answer 17

Shelterwood Method

Question 18

Shelterwood method encourages the establishment of ______ under the partial shelter of seed trees

Answer 18

advance regeneration

Question 19

Seedlings or saplings that develop or are present in the understory.

Answer 19

advance regeneration

Question 20

Most of the mature forest is removed, but widely spaced vigorous trees are left to grow above the new cohort

Answer 20

Two-aged (High forest) Methods

Question 21

2 Methods under two-aged methods

Answer 21

1. Shelterwood with reserves

2. Clearcut with reserves

Question 22

Only some trees in a community have reached maturity and are removed over an extended time period to allocate space to a new age class

Answer 22

Uneven-aged methods

Question 23

Occasional replacement of single trees or small groups of trees with regeneration from any source

Answer 23

Selection methods

Question 24

2 types of selection

Answer 24

1. Single-tree selection

2, Group selection

Question 25

Intermediate treatments are applied to? (3)

Answer 25

1. Improve the existing stand 2. Regulate stand growth 3. Provide early financial returns

Question 26

Intermediate treatments are applied without any effort directed at _____

Answer 26

Regeneration

Question 27

3 Methods under Release Treatments

Answer 27

1. Weeding 2. Cleaning 3. Liberation cutting

Question 28

At what stage is weeding done?

Answer 28

Seedling stage

Question 29

What is the objective of weeding?

Answer 29

Eliminate or suppress herbaceous plants or shrubs before they overtop or interfere with desired trees

Question 30

At what stage is cleaning done?

Answer 30

Sapling stage

Question 31

What is the objective of cleaning?

Answer 31

To free selected trees of better species and quality from overtopping of trees of comparable age

Question 32

What is the objective of liberation cutting

Answer 32

To free young trees not past the sapling stage from competition from older overtopping trees

Question 33

Liberation cutting often corrects problems not addressed by ______

Answer 33

earlier site preparation

Question 34

Removal of live trees from a stand with the intention of improving growing conditions on the site for the uncut or leave trees

Answer 34

Thinning

Question 35

Thinning reduces what?

Answer 35

Competitive pressure

Question 36

2 Types of Thinning Methods

Answer 36

1. Pre-commercial thinning methods | 2. Commercial thinning methods

Question 37

Thinning before the cut trees have sufficient merchantable volume to yield adequate volume for commercial harvesting

Answer 37

Pre-commercial thinning

Question 38

Pre-commercial thinning is an early investment to increase the _____ from the whole crop

Answer 38

net return

Question 39

3 Types of Commercial Thinning Methods

Answer 39

1. Based on how individual trees are chosen for removal 2. Free thinning 3. Variable Density Thinning

Question 40

2 Criteria of Thinning Methods Based on how individual trees are chosen for removal

Answer 40

1. Crown position in the canopy/Crown classes/Kraft classification 2. Predetermined spacing or pattern of removal

Question 41

3 Thinning Methods under the Kraft classification

Answer 41

1. Low thinning 2. Crown thinning 3. Selection thinning

Question 42

What does the low thinning method favor and what it eliminates?

Answer 42

Favor: Dominants and codominants Eliminate: Lower crown classes

Question 43

What does the low thinning method emulate?

Answer 43

Natural development processes

Question 44

What does the crown thinning favor and what does it eliminate?

Answer 44

Favor: Best quality dominants and codominants Eliminate: Other dominants and codominants

Question 45

What does selection thinning favor and what does it eliminate?

Answer 45

Favor: \Lower crown classes Eliminate: Dominant crown classes

Question 46

Trees are removed in proportion to their occurrence (no crown class considerations)

Answer 46

Geometric thinning

Question 47

What is the objective of geometric thinning?

Answer 47

To maintain a predetermined spacing among trees

Question 48

Apply all other elements of thinning at once

Answer 48

Free thinning

Question 49

What us the objective of free thinning?

Answer 49

To approve stand structure

Question 50

Thinning regime in which thinning intensity and tree marking rules are varied within stand of interest

Answer 50

Variabble Density Thinning

Question 51

Other term for variable density thinning?

Answer 51

Skips and gaps approach

Question 52

What are skips?

Answer 52

Portions of stand that are left lightly or completely unthinned

Question 53

What are gaps?

Answer 53

Portions of stand that are heavily harvested including removal of dominant trees.

Question 54

2 characteristics of skips

Answer 54

1. High stem density | 2. Heavy shade

Question 55

What does gaps increase?

Answer 55

understory development

Question 56

Part of the stand that is often thinned to intermediate levels

Answer 56

Remaining matrix/thinned matrix

Question 57

What does Variable Density Thinning increase?

Answer 57

Heterogeneity in stand density and cover

Question 58

What does VDT emulate?

Answer 58

Natural variation in stand structure

Question 59

2 results of VDT

Answer 59

1. Competitive mortality | 2. Small-scale canopy disturbance