Technical Guide to Crop Tree Release in Hardwood Forests
The latest Southern Regional Extension Forestry peer-reviewed publication was recently released by the University of Tennessee with authors from the University of Kentucky and the USDA Forest Service.
Crop tree release (CTR) is a widely applicable silvicultural technique used to enhance the performance of individual trees.It offers flexibility in that it can be applied on small or large properties, and with certain modifications,it can be applied as a precommercial or commercial operation. By favoring the development of selected crop trees within a hardwood stand, thelandowner can meet a variety of area-wide management objectives such as wildlife habitat, recreation, timber value, aesthetic beauty and species diversity. CTR can be applied at various stages of development, including sapling, pole and sawtimber stands,depending on the specific opportunities to improve stand conditions. In some cases, it may be advisable to apply CTR more than once during the rotation. As forest managers gain experience with CTR, many come to realize that it is a versatile silvicultural technique that can be effective in many situations (Houston et al. 1995; Perkey et al. 1994; Perkey and Wilkins 2001; Singer and Lorimer 1997).The publication can be accessed at:http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/PB1774.pdf orhttp://sref.info/publications/online_pubs/regionalpublications/CropTreeRelease
