Silviculture
Land Practice
Silviculture refers to the management of forests or plantations to influnce growth for a desired purpose. It includes the manipulation of native forests and the establishment and management of plantations. Production can be for timber and fibre products and/or environmental benefits. The crop rotation period ranges between 8-50+ years depending on the purpose of production and tree growth rates. Therefore, silviculture should be considered a long-term investment and a long rotation system.
Silviculture may involve the management activities of:
- Clear-felling or coupe logging
- Clearing firebreaks
- Soil tillage
- Fertiliser application
- Irrigation with fresh water
- Irrigation with effluent water
- Pest animal control
- Pesticide application
- Selective logging
- Thinning of woody regrowth
- Thinning of forestry trees
Last updated 7 September 2010
