Monitoring
In order to ensure that silvicultural practices are successful and to allow us to make improvements in the future, monitoring is done at each stage of a silvicultural system. Tree plant quality assessments and survival assessments help to determine whether seedlings were planted properly, were planted with correct spacing, came from healthy stock, and are able to survive and grow over the first few years. Regeneration success assessments look at whether stands have a good quality and quantity of natural regeneration following a harvest. Mid-rotation selection assessments examine how stands are progressing towards targets halfway between harvests. Tree marking audits, in the case of single tree selection, assess whether tree marking follows the prescription for the stand along with other marking requirements such as wildlife trees and areas of concern. Free to grow surveys assess whether the target and acceptable species in a stand are at a stage where no further management is necessary in order to achieve a successful stand in the future.
Monitoring ensures that we are progressing towards meeting our silvicultural needs – as identified by our Silvicultural Ground Rules.
Silviculture Ground Rules
In order to ensure the forest is adequately regenerated and the expected outcome develops over time, these systems often include additional treatments such as site preparation, tending and tree planting. Silviculture Ground Rules describe acceptable practices, prepared to reflect science, local forest conditions, past experience and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry guides, define:
