I still have a few more weeks of deer season, so I'm holding off firing up the chainsaw just yet, before I start my TSI project.
I already posted on of my plans but since this is the most important part I wanted to bring it back up and discuss it a little more.
My plan reads:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Stand #1 is 28 acres: CTR
This stand, located in two separate blocks of timber, is a mix of mostly large pole to small saw log size mixed oak and hickory with some ash, cedar, and an occasional walnut.
The best quality oak, walnut, and cherry will be marked and released from competition by killing adjoining trees that are competing for sunlight.
The following are the prescribed treatments represented by each of the TSI codes found above:
CTR stands for Crop Tree Release, marking and inventory. A maximum of 50 crop trees per acre are selected and marked and inventoried. They will be marked with a band of tree marking paint at Dbh. The inventory will specify species, Dbh. By 2 inch diameter classes, summarized by stand number, and will give a summary of crop trees pre acre for each stand.
The following species will be selected as crop trees, with highest preference given to the trees listed first:
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Black walnut (Juglan Nigra)
White oak (Quercus alba)
Red oak (Quercus Rubra)
Black oak (Quercus velutina)
Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
Red elm (Ulmus rubra)
Black cherry (Prunus serotina)</span>
Only trees that have the potential for becoming veneer or high quality sawlog trees may be selected as crop trees, unless crop trees are being selected for wildlife considerations.
Crop trees are relatively young, vigorously growing trees. Trees with good crown symmetry is preferred.
The maximum size of crop trees will seldom exceed 18 inches Dbh. The rule of thumb is not to treat a tree if it is with in 4 inches Dbh of its anticipated final harvest diameter.
In choosing crop trees, they will be selected by species in the order given on the list, if all else is equal. <span style='font-size: 14pt'><span style="color: #FF0000">Larger trees will be selected over smaller, higher stem quality over lower,
higher crown class over lower.</span> </span>
Trees with symmetrical crowns will be chosen over trees with less symmetrical crowns. Consideration will be given to the maintenance of stand diversity and the protection of den trees, and Indiana Bat habitat.
Each crop tree will be released form sunlight competition. Free growing space will be provided on all four sides of the tree. Competing trees will be killed using the hack and squirt method, or chainsaw girdling, using a complete girdle in either case, with an approved herbicide applied to the girdle. Girdling can be done at any convenient height.
Smaller trees can be cut, with a herbicide applied to the cut surface.
Herbicides will not be used on any tree of the same species as crop trees in the area.
These trees will be killed using a double chainsaw girdle, or a 4 inch ax girdle.
Vines will be removed from all the black walnut (Juglans Nigra) crop trees, but should not be removed from other species unless they are obviously damaging the tree.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Pruning:</span> Remove limbs using an approved saw, following guidelines from recent Iowa State University pruning publications. All walnut crop trees will be pruned.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Weed trees: </span> The following species and sizes will be killed: Honey Locust
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Fences: </span> Crews will kill trees right up to your fences unless you specify otherwise on this plan. This may mean that killed trees will fall across your or your neighbor’s fences, and onto neighboring land.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Practice Life: </span> If any cost-share payments are accepted, then you have a legal obligation
to maintain the practice for specified period of time. You will be asked to sign a legally binding maintenance agreement.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Herbicides: </span> The label is the law. You must follow the label exactly. If any instructions in this plan are contrary to the label in your possession, then contact the DNR District Forester for consultation. Herbicides must be used in accordance with their label.
<span style='font-size: 14pt'>Threatened of Endangered Species: </span> Your Forest is potential summer habitat for the Indiana Bat, an endangered species. Take action appropriate for their protection.
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This plan was written by my area IDNR forester but it's something I will "fine tune" based on my own personal objectives.
What are MY objectives??
1) To improve the quality of my hardwood timber
2) To improve my hardwood timber for wildlife habitat, primarly by increasing hard mast and encouraging undergrowth and browse.
Having said that, I will place emphasis first and foremost on white and red oak species. Should I be faced with a choice where an oak is beside a black walnut (or almost any other species) I will cull the other tree or trees near the oak.
I will kill a red oak species if it should be impeding a white oak simply because white oak mast is more attractive and desirable then reds.
Black oak mast is very toxic to wildlife so they will be the first to go of any oak species.
Now keep in mind that some crop trees may not have any competition and no trees will need to be culled.
The question we all face in this is which trees to cull when there are more then one desirable hardwood species involved?
This is where each landowner must decide for him or herself and give it some thought before hand.
If you hire yout TSI done, you can let them know what your prefernce and objectives are, however based on situations I have seen, sometimes our "wishes" get thrown by the wayside. Afterall, you aren't there to observe and when they are done...it's too late... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif
Eventually, we'll show pics and examples and learn to identify trees via their bark but right now, none of that is our concern. Objectives can be decided before hitting the woods.
We'll need to paint mark crop trees and identify cull trees if indeed there are any. At that point you may learn that there is a black walnut and a white oak together, knowing your objectives before hand will help you with your decision.
I suspect that I will not live long enough to see my timber harvested, I will however enjoy the benefits of increased mast production due to my TSI efforts. I also expect to see rapid changes in undergrowth as light is allowed in and competition for moisture and nutrients are reduced.
Think about your own objectives and decide what you desire most from the timber in your habitat program. More then likely your goals will be somewhat different then that of your forester but working together you can still improve your hardwood timber value and improve your widlife habitat and better your whitetail hunting at the same time!
As the winter wears on I'll hit the woods and begin to mark my crop trees and share pics of trees I need to cull and hopefully identify various trees for future reference.
If any of you have trees to identify or situations that your unsure of, please post pics and we'll see if we can help /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif