Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 07/19/2021

Home

Title 190 — National Foresty Handbook Crop Tree Inventory and Demonstration • Crop Tree Inventory o Crop tree management is a forest stand improvement treatment, also known as release, that provides potential crop trees with additional growing space, light, and air through opening the area around their crowns. It reduces competition from adjacent trees to promote survivial and more rapid growth of the desired crop trees, and in some cases can be used to increase seed production. o A crop tree can be any tree that has been identified as desirable and worth retaining, and may be selected for the purposes of wildlife habitat, economic value, water quality, aesthetics, etc., depending on landowner objectives. o Crop tree management is typically applied in multispecies forest stands, such as eastern and northern hardwoods (maple, oak, hickory, etc.), and bottomland hardwoods (elm, ash, cottonwood, silver maple, red maple, etc.). o Multiple purposes can be addressed through crop tree management. It can be used to create desired forest structure in stands that are primarily even -aged. See Perkey et al. (1994) for information on silvicultural aspects of crop tree selection and management. o Trees that are relatively young for their life spans, around 25 feet tall with large healthy crowns, are often good candidates for crop tree management. o Trees selected for economic value will have a desirable growth form. o Before commencing an inventory and demonstration, discuss crop tree management with the landowners to gauge interest and identify purposes. o Conduct a reconnaissance survey of the stand to determine whether crop trees that meet landowner objectives are present, and to identify representative stand conditions. Take point samples as described in the section "Point Sampling" on page 4 in this TN. At each point, use a tally sheet such as the one shown in figure 11 to record species and DBH (for all trees of 4 inches DBH or larger), and codes indicating whether the tree is a potential crop tree for one or more purposes. (e.g., "W" for wildlife, "T" for timber, "V" for visual quality, etc.). Also use codes to identify trees that compete with potential crop trees ("cut trees"). • Crop Tree Demonstration o A demonstration plot is used to assist the landowners in deciding whether to manage for crop trees, and if so, how intensively. o One or more demonstration plots are located in representative portions of the forest stand. A 1/5-acre plot is recommended; the plot may be circular with a radius of 53 feet or a square of 93 feet on a side. Flag the plot boundaries sufficiently to allow the landowners to visualize plot dimensions. Within the plot ■ Identify and flag high -value crop trees using criteria selected by the landowners. • Identify trees that are competing with crop trees for light (i.e., those with a crown that touches the crop tree crown). (Technical Note No. 190-FOR-01, Jul 2018) 20