Logtatum

Minimizing Wounding/Discoloration in Northern Hardwood Stands

The single most important method for minimizing discoloration and decay is to minimize the amount and size of wounds.

• Understand the link between stand damage and resulting loss in volume.
• Establish a damage assessment procedure; establish a minimal acceptable level of damage. (In general, wounds on northern hardwoods that exceed 20% of stem circumference are highly likely to have discoloration and decay associated with them.)
• Train personnel in directional felling techniques; mark crop trees.
• Establish a reward system for operators who do a good job; operator pride and skill critical.
• Do not conduct harvest operations during spring breakup.
• Operate on wet sites during the driest season or on frozen ground.
• Extraction trails: lay them out in advance, in a herring bone fashion, slightly wider than the extraction vehicle; make them as straight as possible; log them first; fill in hollows with brush.
• Use buffer or bump trees (cull trees) along trails; remove them at end of harvest.
• Use extraction equipment based on the size of trees being removed, the topography of the site, the spacing of the crop trees and the soil type.
• Maintain a fully stocked stand to minimize the chance of sunscald injury and encourage self-pruning.
• Favor single-stemmed sprouts located low on the stump. They have the best chance for survival and of being free from discoloration.