Lifecycle of a Plantation
From the time seedlings are planted to when we see a majestic mixed forest, a plantation undergoes a series of changes and is monitored by forestry professionals throughout this lifecycle.
What does “Harvesting” mean in Plantation Management?
Harvesting is a management tool that is used to maintain healthy, productive forests. Thinning is the most common type of management utilized in plantations, which periodically reduces the density of a forest to improve the growth of the remaining trees and increase species diversity. Revenue generated from harvest operations is used to fund other forest management activities such as invasive species control, forest inventory, monitoring, tree planting, and land securement
Timeline:
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1
The Plantation is Established
READ MOREA suitable site for the plantation is identified and prepared. Specific tree seedling species are selected for planting based on the site conditions.
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2
Before Harvest/Thinning
READ MOREAfter a plantation has been growing for approximately 30 years, an inventory of the forest stand is completed, which compiles....
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3
First Harvest/Thinning
READ MOREThe data collected from the inventory is considered and the first thinning operation is planned when the plantation is around 30 years old.
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4
After Harvest/Thinning
READ MOREWhile precautions are taken to reduce damage during plantation management, such as carrying out these operations in the summer and winter months...
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5
2-5 Years after Harvest/Thinning
READ MOREMany new tree species, such as ash, sugar maple, and black cherry will be regenerating as a result of the forest being open up through thinning.
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6
5-10 Years after Harvest/Thinning
READ MORERegenerated tree species start to mature, and it becomes harder to tell that a thinning operation has occurred.
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7
Second Harvest/Thinning
READ MOREThe second thinning is generally scheduled 15 years after the first one depending on site conditions, the success of regeneration, and how...
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8
Subsequent Harvests/Thinnings
READ MORELike the second thinning, the plantation operations that follow generally occur on a 15-year schedule, but this depends on specific site conditions and...
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9
Mixed Forest
READ MOREIn the years following the fourth thinning, the plantation will begin to look more like a mixed hardwood forest comprised of...