SILVICULTURE

DEFINITION
1.“The art and science of cultivating forest crops” (Indian Forest and
Forest Products Terminology).
2. Silviculture refers only to certain aspects of the theory and
practice of raising forest crops. (Champion and Seth).
3. Silviculture is the branch of forestry which deals with the
establishment, development, care, and reproduction of stands of
timber.
PROPERTIES OF TIMBER
The quality of timber must be ensured before using it for a purpose.
The quality can be ensured by investigating the properties of timber.
Followings are the physical and mechanical properties of timber.

 Colour
 Appearance
 Hardness
 Specific Gravity
 Moisture Content
 Grain
 Shrinkage and Swelling
 Strength
 Density
 Toughness
 Elasticity
 Warping
 Durability
 Defectless
 Workability
 Soundness
 Free of abrasion
The three main functions of a silviculture system are:
1. REGENERATION
2. INTERMEDIATE MANAGEMENT (TENDING)
3. HARVESTING
1. REGENERATION
Forest regeneration is the act of renewing tree cover by establishing
young trees. The two types of regeneration.
Natural regeneration is defined as ‘the renewal of a forest crop by
self-sown seed or by coppice of root suckers.
Advantages
 Species always are well adapted to the localities
 Multi-purposes species are grown naturally
 Meeting requirements of people and their domestic animals
 Better wildlife habitats
 Seedlings found have already be naturally hardened-off
 Injurious or damaging species are found suppressed by natural
pests or plants
 Nursery grown seedlings are not necessary
 Low cost and more net financial returns
Disadvantages
 A seed crop must be available and seed dispersal must be
timed correctly with site preparation so that a suitable seedbed
is available for the seed germination.
 More Moisture in the soil is necessary for the seeds to
germinate exceptionally dry years or sites may result in poor
germination or seedling mortality.
Artificial Regeneration - The renewal of a forest crop by sowing,
planting or other artificial methods. It is also called plantation in
another term, which is defined as ‘a forest crop raised artificially,
either by sowing or planting.’
Advantages
 Artificial regeneration methods permit direct control over the
genotypes species and placement of trees in the new stand, as
well as complete control over the time and duration of
establishment.
Disadvantages

 Artificial regeneration methods are expensive and impractical

to use in remote areas and they require a major logistical
effort.
 Successful artificial establishment requires attention to site
quality site preparation, and quality of planting stock planting
techniques, and competition control.

SITE PREPARATION
A hand or mechanized manipulation of a site designed to enhance
the success of regeneration.
All treatments are designed to modify the soil, litter, and vegetation
and to create microclimate conditions conducive to the
establishment and growth of desired species.
The four main types of site preparation are:
 Prescribed burning
 Mechanical
 Chemical (Herbicides) Biological methods
Prescribed burning and mechanical methods are to clear the residues
after harvesting. Chemical and biological methods are to control the
weed and microorganisms present in the sand.

2. INTERMEDIATE MANAGEMENT (TENDING)

Intermediate management is a regimen of silvicultural treatments
designed to tend to stands between their formation and their final
harvest. Intermediate management can involve practices that
improve the site (fertilization, etc) or manage pests, as well as
intermediate cutting.

The primary objective of intermediate cuttings is to reallocate

resources to the residual stand.
Other objectives of intermediate cuttings are to:
1 Shorten rotation lengths
2 increase final harvest diameters
3. Increase potential stand value by eliminating poor-quality,
undesirable trees.
4 Alter or maintain species composition and
5. Provide intermediate financial returns
The several types of intermediate cuttings are distinguishable by the
stage of stand development at which cuttings are made.
1) THINNING
A cultural treatment made in immature stands to reduce stand
density of trees primarily to improve growth, enhance forest health,
or to recover potential mortality.

 Crown Thinning (Thinning from Above, High Thinning) The removal of

trees competing with the potential crop trees, usually from the
 dominant and codominant crown classes, in order to favour the best
potential crop trees.
 Free Thinning The removal of trees to control stand spacing and favour
desired trees using a combination of thinning criteria without regard to
crown position.
 Low Thinning (Thinning from Below) The removal of trees to control
stand spacing and favour desired trees using a combination of thinning
criteria without regard to crown position.
 Mechanical Thinning (Geometric Thinning) The thinning of tree in either
even- or uneven-aged stands involving removal of trees in rows, strips,
or by using fixed spacing intervals.
 Selection Thinning (Dominant Thinning) The removal of trees in the
dominant crown class in order to favour better formed or more
appropriately spaced individuals in the lower crown classes.
RELEASE OPERATIONS are intermediate treatments designed to free
young stands from undesirable vegetation that threatens to suppress
them.

2)WEEDING: A process of getting rid of saplings' or seedlings'

competition by mowing, application of herbicide, or other method of
removal from the surroundings.

3)CLEANING: Release of select saplings from competition by

overtopping trees of a comparable age. The treatment favors trees
of a desired species and stem quality.

IMPROVEMENT, SANITATION AND SALVAGE CUTTINGS are

intermediate treatments aimed at removing poor quality trees,
reducing susceptibility to insects diseases, or utilizing dead or dying
trees. In addition to the above treatments which tend to focus on the
condition of the stand.
4)PRUNING
It is a kind of management of crops at younger and/or older stage in
which branches live or dead are removed for further improvement of
crops to produce knot free timber. It is the removal of branches from
the trees.
Kinds of pruning
On the basis of the kind of branches, pruning is classified into:
(i) Dry Pruning, i.e., Pruning of dead branches
(ii)Green pruning, i.e., pruning of living branches
On the basis of agency of pruning, it is classified into:
(i) Natural pruning- The natural death and fall of branches of
standing trees from such causes as deficiency of light, decay,
snow and ice. It is also known as self-pruning. Teak, most
Eucalyptus species and kadam are good natural pruners.
(ii)Artificial pruning- The pruning done by forester without
waiting for nature to do it in dense natural crops or where
nature cannot do it due to artificially large spacing between
stems in man-made plantations to reduce cost of formation
and rotation. It is a costly operation. So, artificial pruning is
carried out considering the funds or outcomes.
Trees cease growth during the winter. Therefore, winter is the
best season to prune the trees. The best time for pruning is when
crops are at early stage of life. The time for first pruning should
be done between 5-10 years of crop age. Dead branches may be
pruned at any time.

CROP-TREE MANAGEMENT: is a type of intermediate management

that focuses on individual trees of potentially high value io the
landowner.
3. HARVESTING
Often the functions of regeneration and harvesting are met
simultaneously through harvesting methods that are designed to
promote regeneration of subsequent stands.
Silviculturists generally classify silvicultural systems into two broad
groups
1."High-Forest" methods that rely on reproduction of seed
2. "Low-Forest" or coppice methods that rely on sprout
reproduction.
TWO AGED METHOD: Two aged systems provide for regeneration of
shade intolerant species while carrying in over storey of mature trees
to offset the negative aesthetic impact of clear cutting. Trees are cut
down after two years.
Even-aged System- A planned sequence of treatments designed to
maintain and regenerate a stand with one age class. The range of
tree ages is usually less than 20 percent of the rotation.
Uneven-Aged System- A planned sequence of treatments designed
to maintain and regenerate a stand with three or more age classes.
BY
M.VAISHNAVI
2nd M.Sc PB&PBT
Reg.No. 1901712073020