Virtual Tour of the Forest: Old Hardwood - Deferment Cut

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The deferment cut looks like a park with about 20 large trees per acre remaining. If the landowner does not want to clearcut, but wants to regenerate trees requiring full sun like white oaks, then this is the type of harvest to keep the forest healthy and growing.

The 20 large trees will be harvested about 40 to 50 years later with the timber stand improvement harvest cut. Opening the forest improves wildlife habitat and growing conditions for the remaining trees.

Selective cutting of the large trees, in mature stands, leaves poorer quality and less valuable trees for the future. This type of cutting is called highgrading and is often done because of a higher immediate profit and not realizing partial harvest usually favors red maple and other less valuable species. A forester should be contacted to provide proper management recommendations.

In the Southeastern United States pine trees usually live about half as long as hardwood trees. That is why Virginia's forests either have all pine trees or all hardwood trees. Occasionally pines and hardwoods can be found together—however all forests are constantly changing as they grow over time. Sometimes the changes are swift as a result of fire, ice, wind or timber harvest. Sometimes these changes are centipede slow. Choose any forest type to discover how that forest ecosystem developed, how it can be kept healthy and which animals live there.

Old Hardwood l Old Hardwood - Shelterwood Cut l Old Hardwood - Clearcut l Old Hardwood - Wildlife