Managed Forests are Healthier
03/20/2024
Agricultural consultants can get involved in a variety of production systems and crops. We may be accustomed to the crops that are traditionally grown in our area of the country, but we cannot overlook those crops that are just as valuable in other regions.
Each crop has its own unique needs that must be met by the producer of that crop. A comprehensive understanding of how that crop goes through its growth stages to reach harvest age is essential to producing a crop with the highest market value—regardless of how long it takes. Many crops go from germination to full ripeness in a few weeks or three to four months, while others take years—or decades.
Managing timber production is certainly one of the longest crop cycles on the planet. It may seem like they are simply harvested for lumber without any management attention for decades, but good management of a forest can make a tremendous difference in the quality and quantity of timber harvested. Foresters have known for decades that regular thinning of mature trees allows younger trees to grow more rapidly, and permits new trees, perhaps of even greater value, to sprout where the old trees once stood.
New studies are proving that a forest that is managed using restoration thinning and prescribed burns will reduce the frequency and damage of wildfires. For a review of the Fire Surrogate Study, a 20 year study performed by researchers in California that showed the benefits of these management strategies, go to https://www.farmprogress.com/conservation-and-sustainability/study-managed-forests-are-healthier
Learning all types of management strategies for different crops—and yes, in the heavily forested areas of the northeast trees are considered a crop—can help agricultural advisors broaden their knowledge of management systems across the agricultural spectrum.
The broader our knowledge, the greater our eventual impact.
Don Tyler
ASAC Board Member
Tyler & Associates
Agricultural consultants can get involved in a variety of production systems and crops. We may be accustomed to the crops that are traditionally grown in our area of the country, but we cannot overlook those crops that are just as valuable in other regions.
Each crop has its own unique needs that must be met by the producer of that crop. A comprehensive understanding of how that crop goes through its growth stages to reach harvest age is essential to producing a crop with the highest market value—regardless of how long it takes. Many crops go from germination to full ripeness in a few weeks or three to four months, while others take years—or decades.
Managing timber production is certainly one of the longest crop cycles on the planet. It may seem like they are simply harvested for lumber without any management attention for decades, but good management of a forest can make a tremendous difference in the quality and quantity of timber harvested. Foresters have known for decades that regular thinning of mature trees allows younger trees to grow more rapidly, and permits new trees, perhaps of even greater value, to sprout where the old trees once stood.
New studies are proving that a forest that is managed using restoration thinning and prescribed burns will reduce the frequency and damage of wildfires. For a review of the Fire Surrogate Study, a 20 year study performed by researchers in California that showed the benefits of these management strategies, go to https://www.farmprogress.com/conservation-and-sustainability/study-managed-forests-are-healthier
Learning all types of management strategies for different crops—and yes, in the heavily forested areas of the northeast trees are considered a crop—can help agricultural advisors broaden their knowledge of management systems across the agricultural spectrum.
The broader our knowledge, the greater our eventual impact.
Don Tyler
ASAC Board Member
Tyler & Associates
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