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| Timber Stand Improvement |
Several methods can be used to treat trees in at Timber Stand Improvement. Felling of selected or designated trees for removal brings the fastest and most sure results. Fell trees using standard directional felling practices and safety precautions for use of chainsaws. Felling several hundred or more trees of different sizes and shapes is a challenging process. If you are inexperienced then plan to attend and participate in at least a basic level chain saw safety or Game of Logging class before felling trees yourself. Do not work alone, have first aid equipment, and wherever possible, communications equipment with you at all times.
An alternative to felling trees is deep girdling. Deep girdling is performed by using a chainsaw to make 2 parallel cuts 1" or more deep all the way around the tree at 3-4 feet height. Girdling severs the water and nutrient conducting tissue and kills the top of the trees, although the effects of girdling may be immediate or may take several years depending on the species. Some species such as red maple are very difficult to kill by girdling alone. Trees girdled correctly rot slowly on the stump providing habitat benefits for wildlife which use dead snags. Girdled trees have a high risk of snapping off at the girdled point - so girdling should be avoided near hazards or along high traffic trails.
Although re-sprouting of cut stumps or girdles is not always a concern, if preventing re-sprouting is desirable it may be necessary to treat felled or girdled trees with a herbicide such as glyphosate (Round-up) or Triclopyr (Garlon) according to label rates to reduce the risk of resprouting. If using glyphosate, material should be applied to fresh stumps or girdles no more than 15 minutes after cutting. If possible, cut and treat with herbicide in the fall to protect non-target plants from injury. Some herbicides such as Garlon-4 may also be applied as a basal bark treatment to a standing tree.
Phloem girdling (completely removing the bark off a tree in a band) is another effective option for species such as aspen which are prone to resprouting. Phloem girdling results in a slow death over several years, but with the advantage that resprouting does not occur if performed correctly. Phloem girdling is accomplished by peeling or separating the outer bark from the cambium in the spring or early summer when sap is running using a heavy broad flat knife or other sharpened tool.
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