Forest Stocking Levels - a continuum across the landscape:
Under-stocked:  If an area is under-stocked, the trees are widely spaced and open grown, diameter growth should be vigorous, but tree quality will be relatively low and much opportunity for timber production will be lost.
Fully-stocked:  In a fully stocked area, the important trees are well spaced and growing vigorously, production is high, and little harvesting is recommended.  Our goal is for most important trees to grow in diameter between 1/4" and 1/2" per year. 
Over-stocked:  If the growth of the dominant trees is less than 1/4" per year, the area is overcrowded, and many trees will be literally starving to death.  Our goal is to thin the stand, taking the worst first, until important trees have enough room to grow with vigor.

Factors affecting individual tree management decisions include:
1.  Present quality and future potential of the valuable lower trunk.
2.  Individual tree vigor - diameter growth
3.  Quality of the trees crown (width, depth, position, health, etc)
4.  Tree Species.  Species priority will vary from stand to stand depending on  relative timber values as well as the desirability of the species in the future  fully stocked stand.
  A.  First Priority Species:  climax species to produce a seed source
  Sugar Maple, Ash, and Basswood on mesic sites
  White Pine and Red Maple on dry sites
  Shade tolerant species        B.  Second Priority:  high value species
  Walnut, White Oak, Cherry, Red Oak
  C. Third Priority: intermediate value species
  Aspen, red maple, hickory,
  D.  Fourth Priority:  any sound tree  (the general trend is that every sound    tree will be valuable in the future). 

Tree Spacing -The 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 Principle:
Take the total tree height, divide by three - the average spacing of  important trees should be about 1/3 of their total height.  An individual tree's crown width should be about 1/3 of their total height.  An individual tree's crown depth should be about 1/3 of their total height.

Insects and Disease:
Insect and disease problems will be monitored and dealt with as the need arises.  Prompt salvage of oak wilt trees and other mortality will be made when possible.  Large vigorous trees are more resistant to defoliation by Gypsy Moth and other insects.  Maple and ash are two of the less favorite targets of the gypsy moth, while red oak is a favored food.  A natural variety of vigorous healthy trees will be maintained to minimize risk of catastrophic loss due to pests or storms.




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