Forest Operations
Clearcut Type Harvesting
Clearcut
Clearcut treatments on a long rotation can be effective in maximizing the length of time that the stand provides certain mature habitat values, while providing habitat for hare to support lynx and other predators after harvest. Managing softwood for winter deer habitat may utilize clearcut harvests on a longer rotation such as 100 years. This would mean that 1/100th or 1% would be cut annually.
Clearcuts are complete removal of merchantable trees on a particular site. Clearcut sites are not adequately stocked with a commercial tree species, so the site must be planted, or undergo succession from pioneer intolerant trees before the tolerant trees on the site are established.
Clearcuts may be planted to produce high yields of trees of homogeneous size and characteristics, which may be useful for production of certain products.
Wildlife Clearcut
Wildlife clearcuts maintain a component of long-lived stable trees such as cedar, tolerant hardwoods, hemlock, pine which will provide stand diversity and structures.
Overstory Removal
An overstory removal is removal of all trees of commercial size on a well-regenerated site (stocked with commercial species) while protecting the regeneration.