Timber Harvest is Good for Wildlife

When managing a property for wildlife, it is vital that the timber stands within our heavily forested landscapes be managed properly. 

Wildlife thrive in areas with a diversity of multiple vegetation types, such as different timber types, ages, and stand conditions.

Closed canopy forests are a common issue for many game animals. Sunlight is limited on the forest floor and prohibits plant growth wildlife need for food and cover. A timber harvest in some capacity opens canopies and allows sunlight on the ground. 

Improvement cutting, also known as a thinning or a select-cut, involves removing some trees from a stand to reduce the tree density and allow the remaining trees to grow better, but also opens the canopy for sunlight to reach the forest floor. Once sunlight is available, plant growth will increase to provide food and cover for a wider variety of wildlife species. Clear cutting entire stands, or in patches, will open canopies completely to promote maximum new plant growth.

Over time, trees will regrow and canopies will close again, if left undisturbed. If the trees are allowed to fully grow again, another thinning or clear cut would need to be conducted to give another pulse of regrowth. This process usually takes decades. However, for a shorter return to new plant growth, disturbance practices like prescribed fire or Fall disking can also be implemented to sustain early succession and reset the area for wildlife food and cover again. Harvesting timber can be a useful tool in wildlife management and should be considered to reach your management goals.