ppine wrote:
Claercutting is common in wet forest timber types in northern CA,and the West Side of OR and WA, and the coastal ranges of BC and Alaska.
East Side forests are commonly harvested by selection cuts.
Depends upon species and desired results.
Trees are like plants in your garden, Some species will tolerated shade, others need full sunlight to grow best. Plant a sun-loving tree in a shaded understory and it will not thrive. May not even survive. Those species do best in larger openings -- like clearcuts or a related harvest method (regeneration harvesting comes in many forms. Clearcutting is one type, but a lay person is often unable to discern the subtle differences).
Many forest diseases and pests attack only a single species or closely related species -- like mistletoe. The mistletoe species that attacks pines will not harm firs, and vice versa. If a stand is infected, you must remove all the trees of the target species whether they look infected or not. Then replant with a different tree unaffected by the pest. Only clearcutting may work in those situations.
Clearcutting has been used to improve wildlife habitat. Browsers like deer and elk love clearcuts. They grow lots of shrubs and forbs for food, with cover just a short dash away into the trees. Other wildlife are cover dependent -- spotted owl, martins, fishers, et al -- and clearcutting is inappropriate if the goal is habitat improvement for those species. Foresters look at all these factors, and others, when laying out a timber sale and deciding upon the best harvest method. Sometimes clearcutting is the best choice.
