Aesthetic Enjoyment

As in other subjects, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some woodland owners prefer the uniform neatness of same-size, same-species trees planted in rows, while others enjoy the random effects of varying sizes and species in a stand that is more natural appearing. However, there may be other reasons besides aesthetics for managing your stand a certain way—it can have effects on the trees’ growth and impacts on wildlife habitat.

When clearcutting, try to minimize the visual impact by making them as small as possible and cutting narrow, irregular shapes or by shaping them so that only a small portion is visible from any one side. You can also leave tree islands in the middle for habitat and appearance. Follow the major land contours rather than cutting across the landscape and leave screens of uncut trees between the clearcut and public roads, trails or waterways.

When regenerating a stand, give some thought as to how the stand will look when it matures. Try not to plant trees in straight rows or only for maintenance purposes for a more natural appearance. If possible, mix a variety of plant species. Use rapidly growing species on the outer edges to screen logging activities and enhance the overall look of the stand. Stands of natural regeneration from seedtree or shelterwood systems will have a considerably more natural appearance than plantations.

In general, when thinning or culling undesirable trees, try to use as much of the wood as possible to minimize woody debris. Cut up tree tops and pruned branches so they lie as close to the ground as possible. If you need to kill trees, kill them standing up during the dormant season so that they can fall naturally to the ground over a period of years. Dead, brown leaves will be less noticeable during the dormant season.

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