Written by: Kevin Owens
Edited by: Pierce Young
During the first few years after trees are planted many wildlife species can thrive amongst the abundance of vegetation providing food and cover while growing alongside the young trees. However, after about 5-10 years of tree growth many beneficial plants for wildlife are shaded out within the understory as tree canopies converge. When the trees are more mature it is often beneficial to have them selectively cut, also known as "thinning".
Unthinned forests have a high tree density, which leads to increased competition for resources, smaller individual tree size, stress, and lower overall timber production. Unthinned forests are also more susceptible to drought and wildfires due to scarce resources and increased fuel loads (accumulations of leaves, pine straw, and dead branches) and will experience a significant increase in tree mortality when these events occur. The amount of food and cover provided for most wildlife species is extremely limited at this stage.
Thinning is selectively removing trees in a forest stand to reduce the overall competition; allowing the trees that are left to grow larger and healthier due to increased access to sunlight, water, and nutrients found in the soil. Thinning also leads to faster tree growth rates, increased timber yield, and improved resilience to stressors such as disease, drought, and wildfires in the remaining trees. The understory vegetation in a thinned forest stand will also improve by increasing the variety of plants and increasing their growth due to better access to sunlight. This revived vegetation also becomes a valuable source of food and cover for many wildlife species. Depending on the amount of trees removed from the forest can determine if it will then be characterized as a woodland or a savannah.
Introducing prescribed fire to a thinned forest stand is also important in maintaining a lively and diverse understory plant community. It is recommended to schedule prescribed burns on rotations, such as every 2 to 3 years, depending on soil fertility and vegetation responses in the understory. Dividing the thinned stands into individual burn units and conducting a prescribed burn on a different section each year will also allow for more diversity in the plant community across the landscape.
For more information on how to manage timber stands for wildlife visit our website at
www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-management-info
To meet with a wildlife biologist to help plan timber management for wildlife on your property visit us at