Hardwoods: Intermediate Treatments

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Information concerning regeneration techniques and harvesting strategies for hardwoods is available through published information or consultation with professional foresters. Intermediate treatment suggestions are often harder to find. Intermediate treatments are silvicultural methods designed to improve growth, quality, vigor, and species composition of a hardwood stand between the regeneration and harvest stages. These treatments are typically prescribed in younger age-class stands to allow time for positive treatment effects to occur before stand maturity.

While many non-oak species, such as elms, maples, or ashes, are valuable in various management strategies, oaks are usually considered most important for commercial production of wood products. Consequently, this publication focuses on intermediate treatments appropriate for improvement of oak-dominated stands. While information for all possible intermediate treatments will not be covered, crop tree release, thinning, and midstory control for timber stand improvement (TSI) will be discussed.

For answers to specific questions, please contact state Extension specialists or your local Extension office.

Publication 3468 (POD-06-26)

By A. Brady Self, PhD, Extension Professor, Forestry.