Not too difficult

[Gary_C]

What's this?  Should be easy as this is somewhat typical.

 



Sorry the picture is not clearer, or am I? 

[fishpharmer]

Okay, I will guess. 

Oak?

[Clark]

Somewhat typical?   Basswood seems to love to keep the family alive when they all come from one sprout!  One might think they would die off and leave one or two nice trees but that never seems to be the case.  These clumps also seem to have the habit of appearing on the edge of variable radius plots when I'm doing contract work.    Lots of measuring fun is then to be had!

Clark

[SwampDonkey]

I think basswood would grow even if you stripped all the live limbs off, but say one on a single stem.

[Gary_C]

Ya, I knew those that see these regularly would know right away what is was. I was looking at a job that I have to cut next and this clump stood out from the doubles and triples that you normally see. Actually this will be one of the easier to cut with the harvester head because I can actually get the head in without destroying the other stems. It's always a concern when there are multiple stems and the forester marking them wants to save the one or two good stems. You just hope he don't care if there is some bark missing. 

I always wonder if it's a good idea to try to save one stem from a multi stem group. With this Basswood group where there is some space between stems it may be OK. But where there is one large trunk like in some Oaks, is it questionable to leave one stem with the mate missing? With the might of the harvester head, it is sometimes possible to apply upward pressure and cut the stump low and separate the stems. But when you do that it shows what is between the stump halves and many times it is a pocket full of water or other junk. Not something that looks like it will survive long. Plus trying to avoid any cuts on the save stem is difficult.

[fishpharmer]

I learn something new everyday.

[Ron Scott]

On that clump, I'd take them all.

[Dodgy Loner]

Red Maple. Or did you mean the tree behind the red maple?

[Clark]

...Actually this will be one of the easier to cut with the harvester head because I can actually get the head in without destroying the other stems. It's always a concern when there are multiple stems and the forester marking them wants to save the one or two good stems...

Gary - You bring up a good topic here.  How much room does a processor head need to operate?  Can a forester mark 5 out of 7 trees in a basswood clump and expect the remaining two to be fine?

I've been in this situation before and have struggled not knowing the answer or even having any good guidelines.  It's unfortunate that many forests with basswood are let to go this way, those clumps should have been thinned when the trees were 10-15 years old but I've yet to see that happen anywhere.  So foresters and loggers are stuck with marking and thinning clumps.  Grrrrrr.

Clark

[SwampDonkey]

Well, maybe the type of silviculture practiced does not allow pre-commercial thinning as a viable follow-up. It's hard to prescribe a PCT after using a selection system. A nightmare to mark out and areas are usually small and scattered. Be fine if  its your own ground, but most owners won't thin anything when it's young.

[Gary_C]

Gary - You bring up a good topic here.  How much room does a processor head need to operate?  Can a forester mark 5 out of 7 trees in a basswood clump and expect the remaining two to be fine?

There is no easy answer for that. I struggle with some clumps that I can't find a good way to cut. Sometimes I just make the first cut high and resolve to come back and cut the high stump by hand. And other times I will try to sneak the head onto the first trunk and make a mess of the others. So the best answer to your question is that no you cannot expect the remaining ones to be fine.