![\"Crop](\"https:\/\/www.northwoodscenter.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Crop-Tree-Release-Stand-4N-J-1024x614.jpg\")
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Management Goals<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Promote growth of high-value trees for wildlife or future timber<\/li>\n
- Release selected species – American beech (Fagus grandifolia), yellow birch (Betula allegheniensis), sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and black cherry (Prunus serotina)<\/li>\n
- Enhance wildlife habitat by creating snags (standing dead trees) and increasing coarse woody debris (large, dead wood on the ground).<\/li>\n
- Apply special management within the Vernal Pool Buffer Zone, where salamanders are protected by downed wood, shade from a mostly intact forest canopy, and moisture from decomposing leaves and twigs in the duff layer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Stand Description\/History<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nUnlike much of the surrounding area, the tree species and defined soil horizons (layers of soil that can take many years to develop) suggest that this forest was never a farm field, but may have been a woodlot or sugarbush in the past. This area escaped the heavy logging of the 1980\u2019s that much of our forest is still recovering from, and we see that today in the large, shade-tolerant trees throughout the stand. With relatively little human disturbance, this area of our forest has become a unique and special place!<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Black Bears & Beech Trees<\/h2>\n
One unique feature of the stand is its large number of\u00a0 American beech trees with claw marks from bear climbing. These marks indicate that the trees are good hard mast (nut) producers, because it was worth a bear\u2019s energy to repeatedly climb for them. It also suggests that the tree may be genetically resistant to beech bark disease, a combination of insect and fungal pathogens that attack beech trees. Wounded trees (such as those with claw marks) are more susceptible to the disease, so only a \u201cresistant\u201d tree will likely remain disease-free after years of bear climbing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>What is CTR?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nCrop Tree Release (CTR) is a silvicultural technique that promotes the growth of individually selected trees. Before starting up the chainsaw, a forester walks the area and flags crop trees to retain, and marks trees to be cut around each crop tree. By removing competition (neighboring trees that take up space and light), the crop tree is provided more resources and space to grow.<\/p>\n
Through this forest improvement method, landowners can increase both economic and ecological value of a stand. Crop trees can be chosen with various criteria in mind. Most often, they will be healthy, commercially-valuable species that will later be harvested for timber. By releasing timber trees, the landowner is making an investment toward the future value of their forest. Crop trees might also be chosen because they are a species that is uncommon or useful to wildlife (for example, the beech trees in this area).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t
<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Stand Description\/History<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nUnlike much of the surrounding area, the tree species and defined soil horizons (layers of soil that can take many years to develop) suggest that this forest was never a farm field, but may have been a woodlot or sugarbush in the past. This area escaped the heavy logging of the 1980\u2019s that much of our forest is still recovering from, and we see that today in the large, shade-tolerant trees throughout the stand. With relatively little human disturbance, this area of our forest has become a unique and special place!<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Black Bears & Beech Trees<\/h2>\n
One unique feature of the stand is its large number of\u00a0 American beech trees with claw marks from bear climbing. These marks indicate that the trees are good hard mast (nut) producers, because it was worth a bear\u2019s energy to repeatedly climb for them. It also suggests that the tree may be genetically resistant to beech bark disease, a combination of insect and fungal pathogens that attack beech trees. Wounded trees (such as those with claw marks) are more susceptible to the disease, so only a \u201cresistant\u201d tree will likely remain disease-free after years of bear climbing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>What is CTR?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nCrop Tree Release (CTR) is a silvicultural technique that promotes the growth of individually selected trees. Before starting up the chainsaw, a forester walks the area and flags crop trees to retain, and marks trees to be cut around each crop tree. By removing competition (neighboring trees that take up space and light), the crop tree is provided more resources and space to grow.<\/p>\n
Through this forest improvement method, landowners can increase both economic and ecological value of a stand. Crop trees can be chosen with various criteria in mind. Most often, they will be healthy, commercially-valuable species that will later be harvested for timber. By releasing timber trees, the landowner is making an investment toward the future value of their forest. Crop trees might also be chosen because they are a species that is uncommon or useful to wildlife (for example, the beech trees in this area).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t
Stand Description\/History<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nUnlike much of the surrounding area, the tree species and defined soil horizons (layers of soil that can take many years to develop) suggest that this forest was never a farm field, but may have been a woodlot or sugarbush in the past. This area escaped the heavy logging of the 1980\u2019s that much of our forest is still recovering from, and we see that today in the large, shade-tolerant trees throughout the stand. With relatively little human disturbance, this area of our forest has become a unique and special place!<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Black Bears & Beech Trees<\/h2>\n
One unique feature of the stand is its large number of\u00a0 American beech trees with claw marks from bear climbing. These marks indicate that the trees are good hard mast (nut) producers, because it was worth a bear\u2019s energy to repeatedly climb for them. It also suggests that the tree may be genetically resistant to beech bark disease, a combination of insect and fungal pathogens that attack beech trees. Wounded trees (such as those with claw marks) are more susceptible to the disease, so only a \u201cresistant\u201d tree will likely remain disease-free after years of bear climbing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>What is CTR?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nCrop Tree Release (CTR) is a silvicultural technique that promotes the growth of individually selected trees. Before starting up the chainsaw, a forester walks the area and flags crop trees to retain, and marks trees to be cut around each crop tree. By removing competition (neighboring trees that take up space and light), the crop tree is provided more resources and space to grow.<\/p>\n
Through this forest improvement method, landowners can increase both economic and ecological value of a stand. Crop trees can be chosen with various criteria in mind. Most often, they will be healthy, commercially-valuable species that will later be harvested for timber. By releasing timber trees, the landowner is making an investment toward the future value of their forest. Crop trees might also be chosen because they are a species that is uncommon or useful to wildlife (for example, the beech trees in this area).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t
Black Bears & Beech Trees<\/h2>\n
One unique feature of the stand is its large number of\u00a0 American beech trees with claw marks from bear climbing. These marks indicate that the trees are good hard mast (nut) producers, because it was worth a bear\u2019s energy to repeatedly climb for them. It also suggests that the tree may be genetically resistant to beech bark disease, a combination of insect and fungal pathogens that attack beech trees. Wounded trees (such as those with claw marks) are more susceptible to the disease, so only a \u201cresistant\u201d tree will likely remain disease-free after years of bear climbing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>