Think timber management and it's hard not to visualize lines of pine trees, especially in the South. And while it's true that traditional forestry management still leans toward establishing pure pine or pure hardwood tracts, there is another option.
Today more and more landowners are looking for ways to manage what Mother Nature gave them—which is most likely a mix of pine and hardwood.
This approach still yields harvestable timber, but it's also a boon to wildlife habitat and more aesthetically pleasing.
Mixed-stand management often uses regeneration techniques like fell and burn, says Don Tomczak. It's a management approach that has to be well coordinated, and it's described as "more of an art than a computer model" by Tomczak.
"But it works with nature and costs significantly less than it does to establish a pure pine or a pure hardwood stand," says this USDA forest management specialist. "This really is the forest as nature intended, and there are some benefits that go along with that."
Starting with the economics, Tomczak estimates mixed-stand regeneration can come in at half the price of establishing a pure pine stand using intensive site preparation.
Looking at the environmental pluses, this approach is easier on the site. And because the stand is mixed, it supports a wider variety of wildlife species. That means more recreational opportunities like hunting, hiking or even bird watching.
Diversity among tree species also reduces the risk of disease and insect pressure. This, in turn, reduces or eliminates the need for herbicides and insecticides.
The lack of predictability is considered the biggest drawback, says Tomczak.
"With this approach you have to accept that the composition of a mixed stand will change over time as it responds to the environment.
"There is no precise answer as to the future composition of the forest or the amount of wood a mixed stand will produce," he explains.
Not knowing what you will wind up with can cause concern regarding market demand and price. But Tomczak points out that technological advances have meant more demand for what was once referred to as low-grade hardwoods. And as markets continue to change, it is difficult to know what will be in demand several decades down the road.
"This is a way for people to manage their land without a huge financial investment," says Tomczak. "The big hammer approach to forestry uses a lot of time, work, money and chemicals.
"You're trying to shape things the way you want them to go, and nature meanwhile wants to go the other way.
"This approach works with nature and still lets you meet many common objectives," Tomczak adds. "I think it's been underplayed. But it calls for a landowner with an independent streak to make it work."
The Fell-and-Burn Plan
This low-cost method of regenerating a pine-hardwood stand starts in the spring. Here are the basics:
MID-APRIL TO EARLY JUNE. Any standing trees (more than 5 feet tall) remaining after harvest are felled using a chain saw. Timing is critical because the felled residuals need time to dry prior to summer burns. Also, severing stems after the spring flush of growth reduces carbohydrate reserves in hardwood rootstocks, giving pines an advantage as they compete for growing space.
EARLY TO MID-JULY. With the fuel load cured and the nesting season for most game birds and nongame birds past, a controlled burn takes place. This should be a high-intensity burn over a moist fuel bed.
Following the fire, the site should look mostly black. This burn does several things: It clears the site for planting; it takes sprouted hardwoods back to ground level; it uses up more root carbohydrate reserves; and it kills above-ground dormant hardwood buds. This is good because it means hardwoods that develop the following year will be well-anchored below ground.
Burning also helps a large percentage of the root mat stay intact, improving water-holding capacity and preventing erosion.
LATE WINTER TO EARLY SPRING. Plant genetically improved pine seedlings. The blackened forest floor will make it easier to see the seedlings and do a good job. Excellent early survival and growth of the pines are part of this system, thanks in part to the root mat maintained by avoiding high-intensity site prep. Later hardwood sprouts will regain vigor, and the site will take on the nature of a pine-hardwood stand.