Maintaining the Forest
Managing a forest isn’t simply about the trees—it’s about the whole ecosystem. Foresters use controlled burns (small fires they intentionally set) to get rid of flammable brush, preventing future wildfires. They may use thinning, fertilization or other methods to strengthen the growing trees. And there is a whole network of roads and streams to look after within the forest.
Prescribed burns, also known as controlled burns, are small fires foresters use to remove flammable material. These fires take place under the careful supervision of local fire authorities, with weather conditions constantly taken into account.
Watch the video below to learn about prescribed burns. After watching the video, can you name one reason controlled fires are used in working forests?
Foresters monitor their forests to ensure the trees are healthy and strong. If they see signs of an insect or disease outbreak, they remove injured trees and treat the forest to ensure it doesn’t spread any further. They remove competing vegetation, such as other bushes or trees, if they will hurt the growth and health of the tree plantation. And, perhaps most impactful of all, they thin the trees.
What is thinning? It’s the removal of diseased, crooked and slower-growing trees about halfway through the forest’s lifecycle. Sometimes, entire rows of trees are removed to open space for the remaining trees to grow. Oftentimes the removed trees can be used for smaller products like pulp. But most importantly, taking them out of the forest ensures the remaining trees can grow into a healthy, mature forest.
Watch the video below to see how a thinning operation works. What’s one way forest health could improve after a thinning? What can happen when the forest is not thinned?
Another way foresters strengthen growing trees is through fertilization. They evaluate the needs of a specific group of trees and the makeup of the soils where they’re growing. Then they deliver whatever nutrients the trees need through fertilization. This typically happens 1 or 2 times during the trees' lifetime.
A forestry company may own millions of acres of land, which means the company is also responsible for many miles of private roadways within its forests. Maintaining those roads is a critical aspect of forestry because the trees must be accessible.
Forest engineers build and maintain roads and stream crossings. They replace old bridges. They decide when to improve a road, and when to close it down. They also plan the best possible roads to move heavy trucks and equipment in and out of the forest for harvests with as little impact on the environment as possible.
Forest Management
Forest Management
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Learn more about Forest Management and what comes next in the Forestry Lifecycle: