Max McCormack provides an overview of DBH (diameter breast height) and its usage in forest management and silvicultural considerations.
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Bob Seymour discusses the various options he considered when deciding whether to pursue selling forest carbon credits from his various woodlots or to continue harvesting the properties for timber.
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Bob Seymour provides an overview of the silviculture recommendations he provided Tom Allen after a walk in his Sebago woods.
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Bob Seymour and Jessica Leahy were the winners of the 2020 Maine Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award for their tree farm Wicopy Woods. Bob Seymour provides an overview of some of the key silviculture practices conducted on their property and the results they have had so far.
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Tracking the growth of your forest is an important way to determine the success of your management efforts and the increased value of your timber.
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The terminology for silviculture has evolved so professionals can communicate with each other about best practices. Confusion can come about when words are borrowed from timber harvesting.
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Some people believe that you can't do anything to control "heart" in northern hardwood logs, but this is simply untrue. I grew the trees on the log pile, shown below, from saplings starting over 40 years ago. Note the predominance of white wood in the red maple. How did I accomplish this?
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Understanding why different species grow where they do – the concept of the forest site or habitat –can be challenging. Just because a tree is growing in a particular spot, does that mean it “belongs” there and will thrive? Generalizations like “hardwoods are limited to deep well-drained soils” or “conifers dominate both saturated and droughty soils where hardwoods will not grow” are helpful, but the reality is more complex.
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When foresters use the term silvics, we are referring to characteristics of tree species that define their life history, growth, response to its environment, and ecology.
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By Maxwell McCormack In last month’s issue, Lloyd Irland hit the nail squarely on the head. White pines had a banner year for production of
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The transition into spring provides a special window of opportunity for reinforcing connections with our woodlots....Enjoy wildflowers along the forest floor and look up for the emerging catkins of the male poplar trees. Tree flowers tend to occur during the latter part of spring, but keep an eye out for them as you pass by emerging growth. Pull down a limb of red maple (Acer rubrum) for a closer look at their showy flowers .
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