Stand 2
Acreage:
10 acres
General Description: This stand is a red pine plantation that was planted in 1980. There is a high density of pole-sized trees that have shaded out the grass and other understory plants, so the cover for wildlife is declining. The soils are sandy.
Objective: The owners wish to maintain the plantation in a healthy condition to provide red pine sawlogs, a variety of cover and visual enjoyment of the property.
Recommended Practices: Thin by the years 2004, 2014 and 2024.
The first thinning should remove every third row and selectively remove trees in the other two rows with poor form (crooked or forked boles). The rows to be removed could be staggered so that a clear line of sight is not present from the road. Future thinnings should selectively reduce Basal area according to recommendations (i.e. to 120 ft2/ac when the stand diameter averages 9-15” and to 140 ft2/ac for stands averaging more than 15” in diameter).
Following the first thinning, up to 100 trees per acre could be pruned
up to a maximum of half the tree’s height (not to exceed 17 feet).
Cost-share funds may be available for the pruning of the lower limbs and
the thinning if it is not a commercial operation. Thinning would increase
the amount of sunlight reaching the ground and stimulate the natural regeneration
of hardwood trees, including ash, maple, and oak. This method will also
increase the ground vegetation as the regeneration develops, providing
additional browse and cover.
Stand 2