STEMS > Silvicultural Systems > Clear Cut With Reserves

Clearcut with Reserves

The clearcut system manages successive, even-aged stands by cutting the entire stand of trees at planned intervals (the rotation). New stands then regenerate in their place. A “clearcut with reserves” is a variation of clearcutting that retains uniformly spaced or small groups of trees for purposes other than regeneration. Clearcutting provides baseline data for comparing forest health and productivity in silvicultural systems that use partial cutting.

For photos of clearcut with reserves see Tour Stop 8.

Silvicultural Systems:

1. Patch Cut
2. Extended Rotation
3. Group Selection
4. Clearcut with Reserves
5. Dispersed Retention
6. Extended Rotation with Commercial Thinning
7. Aggregate Retention

Immediately after the first entry

A view of the clearcut with reserve treatment immediately after harvest and five years later.

Summary Description of Key Features

Silvicultural System: Clearcut with Reserves
Treatment Unit Size: 10.9 ha
Opening Size: 10.9 ha
Deferred Areas: none
Retention Structures Objective: 0.3 ha reserve
Age Structure: Even-aged