- Partial cutting
Partial cutting (“coupe partielle” in fr) is the removal of only part of a stand for purposes other than regenerating a new age class.
- Thinning
Thinning (“éclaircie” in fr) is a felling made in an immature crop or stand in order primarily to accelerate diameter increment but also to salvage potential mortality and, by suitable selection, to improve the average form of the trees that remain, without – at least according to classical concepts – permanently breaking the canopy.
There are different thinnings “types” or “systems”, which differ in the selection criteria, technique, intensity and frequency of tree removal. Some examples are: thinning from below, from above, selection thinning etc.
In addition, if taking an economic point of view, thinnings can be separated into precommercial and commercial thinnings.
- Precommercial thinning
Precommercial (“éclaircie précommerciale” in fr) thinning refers to the removal of trees not for immediate financial return but to reduce stocking to concentrate growth on the more desirable trees.
- Commercial thinning
Commercial thinning (“éclaircie commercialisable” in fr) refers to any type of thinning producing merchantable material at least to the value of the direct (and sometimes, indirect) costs of harvesting.
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