Forum Discussion

profdant139's avatar
profdant139
Explorer II
Sep 04, 2019

Seeking expert opinion: thinning vs prescribed burns

Almost all of us on this forum are avid users of the national forests. Some of us favor extensive logging. Some of us don't want the forest altered in any way. I understand both of those positions....
Boondocking
Dry Camping
Public Lands
Huntindog's avatar
Huntindog
Explorer
Oct 06, 2019
ppine wrote:
Huntindog,
Forest management is a long term strategy. It is always a long term endeavor. We management forests for our children. Sometimes you have to look closely to see the regen and younger age class trees left after thinning and selection cuts.

In many stands you will not see saplings and seedlings, trees say under 20 feet tall. But there will often be plenty of pole sized trees in the understory. It takes awhile to look carefully and see what is happening.
Oh I have looked. In AZ there are NO pole sized trees left after they thin it.
According to your thinking, saplings and seedlings are not needed.
I disagree. A healthy forest should have trees of all ages.

And you need more than just a few. In the years that it takes for a tree to mature, many will die. That is the way nature works. It is why all living things tend to produce more than is needed. It ensures that after attrition, the species will survive.

Of course none of us will live long enough to see it, so the public is fine with it. For now. It will be many years before our descendants look around, and see no trees where a forest used to be.... I wonder if they will realize what they are missing, and why.

About Campground 101

Recommendations, reviews, and the inside scoop from fellow travelers.14,716 PostsLatest Activity: Jun 18, 2019