I will lobby to have the word stewardship prominently featured in the forum title. Stewardship being an ethic where you manage your woodlot to increase its value both to you and the future and the people and things that don't own it but share it with you directly or indirectly.
Perhaps just some general understanding of forest communities might be helpful. Hardwoods vs softwoods and their requirements. In the northeast/south east and probably some of the midwest the relationships between sunlight and tolerance might assist woodlot owners in harvesting strategies and decisions. Like, pioneer species, mid seral species and late seral uneven aged tolerant species. Another basic understanding of site productivity might help owners understand the relationships of biomass/sunlight/rainfall (and the fact biomass for a given site is constant) and the role we play in moving a portion of the basic biomass the site is capable of producing to the species and stems we desire. Big picture overview understanding may allow the owner to look around his or her woodlot and envision the future stand and see some things that can be done to create a better future desired outcome. The western areas might best be handled by a Forester familiar with those sites and species. It would be a good place to start perhaps. I occasionally go out to friends' woodlots and walk around and discuss these basic understandings. Someone mentioned loggers and is correct in staying clear of them for advice. There may be some horse loggers around still. short logs skidded by horses do the least damage to a site. In any event smaller machines and short logs on pre-determined trails are essential for a private woodlot owner. Understanding root damage and butt damage from logs and skidders do not have to be a given. Up here, we've lost the battle. The once amazing Maple/Yellow Birch/Hemlock stands are beat up pulpwood messes now. Private woodlot owners can reverse this trend. Once some of these factors are understood then periodicals and other materials can be used of self education. Pictures and sharing are now possible for the first time and a forum like this can play a role.
Wow you just threw a ton of forestry terms out there for them!!! Some of the stuff you refer too is region specific. We dont have " smaller equipment" or any of that cut to length stuff around here. No fowarers or precut in woods stuff. Skidding damage does not automatically result in a total log downgrade in our species here. You may have to jump butt it but rarely loose a total bole length to product downgrade. If its a long time from the damage you may loose a portion of that valuable bit log bit thats it. Not that you want that or should accept sloppy logging. Fire damage in hardwood stands can also promote rot in that butt log.
when I walk Oh, my misunderstanding for sure. I was thinking about a woodlot of a few hundred acres that may stay in a family for generations and may produce mainly firewood for the next 2 or 3 cuts. As I walk some of these hardwood stands I notice die back in the crown directly above obvious butt damage and root damage. I suspect it can severely slow the growth and quality of the tree as a sawlog or veneer log in future. I agree with you in a commercial harvest the equipment is really what too often dictates management decisions. At least it does here. Most woodlots here are old after they have been heavily logged by skidders and the lots are sold after it is logged. One of my friends has 160 acres and he just takes out fire wood and his son will inherit the property at some point so a 100 year view makes perfect sense. I thank you and the others for this thread as it is part of a better future for us all to share what we can.
