TIMBER MANAGEMENT

STAND LEVEL MANAGEMENT

An essential element of TIR’s forest management policy is the development of a set of financially optimal management practices, or a silvicultural “prescription,” for each stand utilizing the concepts of intensive silviculture. A prescription contains unique and detailed information about activities, treatments, and volumes for a stand from establishment to the completion of the rotation (at harvest).

The development of stand prescriptions is virtually impossible without the aid of growth-and-yield computer models that predict stand dynamics over long periods. TIR uses the best available growth-and-yield models to make projections for tree survival, dominant tree height, and basal area. When selecting among an array of available growth and yield algorithms,TIR prefers those that display sound biological parameters with respect to growth rates and final tree size. Long-term projections with models that do not contain biologically based parameters are risky and prone to erroneous results.

Intensive forest management incorporates a wide array of silvicultural practices, such as genetically improved seedlings, advanced site preparation methods, competition control, and fertilization. These management techniques have produced remarkable increases in tree plantation growth rates, particularly Southern pine. Essentially, these intensive management techniques can accelerate tree diameter and height growth, thereby shifting trees from lower to higher value products at an earlier age.