Growing Healthy Trees for a Better Forest: Tree Selection and Management Guide

1. 2” in 10 years Landowner Tree Selection for Forest Improvement Peter J. Smallidge Cornell University State Extension Forester www.ForestConnect.info

2. What I Hope You Learn Today Overall: how to grow healthy trees that make you feel good about your forest. Specifically: • How your objectives relate to tree selection • Factors to consider when selecting trees to cut and leave • Strategies to remove unwanted trees

3. Why Grow Healthy Trees Accomplish goals soonerand with greater control • Timber production • Wildlife habitat • Wildlife foods • Aesthetics • Water quality

4. The outputs related to health require adequate tree growth. Sunlight typically limits tree growth. Cutting releases desired (uncut) trees from competition for sunlight. What makes for healthy trees?

5. One example of good growth following thinningSugar maple: 2” radial increment, 4” diameter, 10 years Crown closure in a spruce plantation.

6. Does an action support your objective?

7. How to Pick Winners and Losers You’re making an investment of time, money, and sunlight. Pick your investments carefully.

8. Pick Winners and Losers Based On…. • Owner objectives for favored species (soils) • Healthy crowns • Crown class • Species mix for soil • Vigor and defect • Spacing

9. The tree crown is the production factory. Don’t invest in a weak factory.

10. Favor for Crop Trees Avoid as Crop Trees From Nyland, 1996. p. 355

11. Know your soil type and the tree species that grow well on those soils. Favor trees suited for the soil. You can’t squeeze blood from turnip. http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/ http://www.gmushrooms.com/Greenwood/Guide.htm Sandy loam, good organic matter. Sugar maple, red oak, beech, white pine. Sand, low organic matter, very well drained. White pine, red pine.

12. Fusarium Eutypella Weak Crotch Nectria Maple borer Reduce defective trees. They have slower growth, provide inoculum, and are more likely to break during a storm.

13. Try to adjust spacing for equitable distance among retained trees. Not always possible.

14. Safe operations depend on your skill level and available equipment. Most people aren’t as good as they think they are.

15. A garden approach to forest management. Crop Tree Management http://na.fs.fed.us/stewardship Thin around the crowns of the most desired trees.

16. FTG = Free to Grow = 0 2 1 4 3 What makes a good crop tree?

17. 2 1 4 3 FTG = 4 = Optimum Growth

18. FTG = 3 = OK for Adjacent Crop Trees 2 1 4 3

19. High Intensity Crop Tree Release

20. Low Intensity Crop Tree Release

21. What to Expect from Correct Thinning – general trends Positive effects • Best growth response with • High site quality • Trees 50 to 85 years • Healthy residual trees • 30 to 50% growth (cords, board feet, etc.) increase • Improved quality of stems • Reduced mortality • Improved live crown ratio (start with young trees) • Diameter response in 2 to 5 years, varies by species • Diameter doesn’t predict response potential (Leak) • Response depends on intensity of cut

22. What to Expect from Correct Thinning – general trends Cautions • Increase in epicormics by 30% (Marquis 1969), but little effect on butt log quality (Smith et al 1994) • No effect on height growth • No effect on release of low canopy trees

23. Directional Felling • …”you decide the direction a tree falls.” • Game of Logging for Landowners • Don’t “chase the tree” • Directional Felling Advantages • Reduce hung trees • Safely and quickly release hung trees • Position log for extraction • Reduce risk of personal injury • Increased productivity

24. Should you girdle ?

25. Flame Weeding (research) • Will kill trees • Is USDA organic approved • Some logistical advantages • Economics are unknown

26. Herbicide Treatments for Thinning • Cut-stump treatment [Misc. publications at www.ForestConnect.info ] • Basal bark treatment • Foliar treatment • http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/UH174.pdf • google psu uh174, #2 on list

27. Leave the losers to avoid damage to residual trees

28. You should thin if Closed canopy and irregular crowns Dead lower branches No understory Disease and defect Slow radial growth You should not thin if Shallow roots and thin soils You see daylight So, should you thin? Contact a NYS DEC forester for a FREE visit to evaluate stocking (number of trees per acre). Flag trees and have a DEC forester discuss your selection with you. DEC foresters will mark an acre to illustrate correct tree selection, or, will assess your marking with constructive ideas.

29. For More Information • www.ForestConnect.info • NYS DEC, public service forester http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4972.html • Consulting or industrial forester http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5230.html • Master Forest Owner volunteer (CCE)www.CornellMFO.info • http://na.fs.fed.us/stewardship (crop tree management)