THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE PB1523 Forest Practice Guidelines for Tennessee 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements 2 Purpose 3 Forests of Tennessee 4 Forest Values 6 Forest Practices and Silviculture 6 Silviculture 6 Silvicultural System 6 Harvest and Regeneration Methods 6 Thinning versus Regeneration 6 Even-age Systems 9 Uneven-age Systems 10 Importance of Forest Site 12 Timber Harvesting Guidelines 12 Forest Health & Protection 14 Acknowledgements BMPs for Forestry Activities in Tennessee 15 The Forest Practice Guide- lines for Tennessee publication is a col- Silvicultural Practices for Major Forest Types in Tennessee 16 laborative effort of The University of Ten- Oak-Hickory 16 nessee Agricultural Extension Service, Type Description 16 the Tennessee Forestry Association, the Harvesting, Regeneration and Cultural Methods 16 Tennessee Division of Forestry and the Oak-Pine 19 Tennessee Valley Authority. This docu- Type Description 19 ment is a revision of the 1976 edition Harvesting, Regeneration and Cultural Methods 19 edited by Gary Schneider and Jack Barrett of The University of Tennessee 21 Bottomland Hardwoods Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fish- Type Description 21 eries. Harvesting, Regeneration and Cultural Methods 21 The authors appreciate the Cove Hardwoods 24 helpful reviews of Jim Hill (Bowater), Ray Type Description 24 Rozier (private consultant), Tom Jewell Harvesting, Regeneration and Cultural Methods 25 (Westvaco), Kerry Schell (The University Pine 27 of Tennessee-retired), Gene McGee Type Establishment 27 (U.S. Forest Service -retired), Tim Young Harvesting, Regeneration and Cultural Methods 28 (Georgia Pacific), George Weaver (The University of Tennessee-deceased), 30 Stand Conversion John Wood (Westvaco) and Tim McCall (J.M. Huber). Additionally, final manu- Marketing of Forest Resources 30 script reviewers were John Gregory Sources of Assistance for Landowners 31 (TWRA), Allan Houston (UT), Larry Hamner (TVA), Dennis Miles (TDF) and Appendix 31 Wanda Richart (UT). Agencies Assisting Landowners 32 Tennessee has been blessed Glossary 32 with a beautiful bounty of forest resources. We trust these “Guidelines” will improve forest practices in Tennessee and enhance the quality of life for all Tennesseans. George M. Hopper Professor & Head Editor Cover photo by George M. Hopper 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE Forest Practice Guidelines for Tennessee George M. Hopper, Editor Professor & Head Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries The University of Tennessee Hart Applegate Assistant State Forester Tennessee Division of Forestry Greg Dale Area Superintendent Westvaco Corporation Richard Winslow Lands Manager Tennessee Consolidated Coal Purpose Those involved in managing Tennessee forests have felt the need Forest Types in Tennessee for a concise statement about forest practices in Tennessee. Although several sources provide information about Tennessee’s forests and appropriate forest practices, search- ing for information takes considerable Oak Hickory time, and in some instances the 73% sources are not readily available. 9,593,600 These guidelines provide a ready, authoritative reference. This publica- tion identifies appropriate forest management practices and informs Pine 10% the Tennessee forest landowner 1,333,800 acres about making wise policy decisions and establishing long-range goals. Oak-pine However, many land man- 12% agement decisions are complex and 1,591,500 acres can not be explained here. In most cases, forest management requires Bottomland Hwd. the services of a professional for- 5% ester. A professional forester has 682,300 acres received at a minimum a four-year college degree in forest management from an accredited forestry program, and keeps current about the latest forest management practices. 3 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE Forests of Tennessee Forests are an integral part of the Tennessee environment. When the first European settlers reached the territory that was to become Tennessee, forests covered more than 85 percent of the land area. With these settlers came logging, land clearing and frequent fires. Historical records indicate native American people burned the forests routinely to create improved grazing for wildlife. Some accounts suggest that there were savannah-like conditions in many areas of the state. The most recent statistics from 1989 Tennessee forest survey show 13,265,000 acres, or 50 percent of the total land area, is still in forest cover. Private forest landowners, the vast majority non-industrial, decide the fate and management on 11,756,400 acres of the state’s forest land. This represents 88 percent of the total forest resource (Table 1). Differences in climate, soils and physiography make the forests of Tennessee as complex as any found in the temperate regions of the world. More than 200 species of trees grow in Tennessee, 60 of which have commercial value. Table 1. Distribution of Forest Ownership in Tennessee (from Forest Statistics for Tennessee Counties-1989 USDA-FS SD-148) FOREST LAND Owner Acre % of Total Private Industrial 1,143,900 8.62 Non-industrial 10,612,500 80.00 Public Federal 1,027,400 7.74 State 422,200 3.18 City/County 59,400 0.44 Total forest land 13,265,400 — 4 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE Non-Industry 80% Industry 8.6% Federal 7.7% State 3.1% 5 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE Unlike most of its neighbors from 16.2 to 53.6 million board feet. from soil erosion and reduction of to the south, Tennessee’s forests are Moreover, desirable commercial noise and air pollution are among the mostly hardwoods, with oaks domi- species now cover a higher propor- many environmental benefits forests nating significant portions of the tion of our forest land, but there is still provide. forest landscape. This publication will much to be done to improve and discuss five major forest types in protect the forest. The Tennessee Forest Tennessee: oak-hickory, oak-pine, Division of Forestry, The University of Practices bottomland hardwoods, cove hard- Tennessee Agricultural Extension woods and pine. Service, the Tennessee Valley and Forest stands composed of Authority, the U.S. Forest Service, the Silviculture various oaks and hickories cover 73 Tennessee Forestry Association, percent of the commercial forest concerned individual landowners and Silviculture areas (9.6 million acres). The oak- forest industries are contributing to Silviculture is the art and hickory forest type includes a mixture this improvement. science of tending a forest. Silvicul- of species, ranging from very valu- ture includes the establishment, able black walnut, yellow-poplar and Forest Values improvement and harvest of a forest high-grade red and white oaks, to the to meet the owner’s objectives. Tennessee’s forests are one economically low-value post and Silviculture is based on an under- of our state’s most valuable natural blackjack oaks. Pine and oak-pine standing of natural resource pro- resources. Forests furnish a variety of types occur on 22 percent of the cesses, such as disturbance, succes- products and benefits to the state’s commercial forest area, and typically sion, competition, nutrient cycles, economy and its citizens. The timber develop on relatively dry upland sites. hydrology, tree biology, soils and industry probably predates the state The east and plateau regions associated ecological phenomena. itself, yielding raw materials for of Tennessee contain pine, oak-pine Manipulation and control of the construction of homes and buildings and oak-hickory forest types. Upland natural processes using scientifically and many other basic products such hardwood sites generally are concen- based silvicultural techniques can as furniture, crossties and paper. trated in the central and west-central create forests suited to the goal of Additionally, trees yield chemicals regions. Bottomland hardwood sites ownership in less time than would used in hundreds of products pro- are primarily located in the west occur naturally. region. duced in plastics and chemical manufacturing. Mismanagement and uncon- Partial Harvests Versus trolled fires have caused serious Wood-using industries in damage to forest resources of Tennessee manufactured products Regeneration Harvests Tennessee. For many years, logging which had a shipment value of $4 Forest management gener- operations that cut only the best billion in 1992. Forest-related indus- ally includes harvesting trees. Trees trees, a practice referred to as “high- tries in Tennessee employ more than that are harvested and processed into grading,” has reduced forest produc- 50,000 workers and pay $1 of every products continue to benefit people tivity. High-grading results in a forest $8 of manufacturing-based wages. by providing useful wood products. of defective and commercially unde- Tennessee is the nation’s leading sirable trees left to occupy and producer of log homes and hardwood regenerate the forest. Although the flooring, and annually ranks among Silviculture practice of high-grading continues, the top three states in hardwood is the art and significant improvements have been lumber production. made in forest protection, e.g., Tennessee’s forest lands also science of wildfire suppression. Also, reforesta- create habitat for forest wildlife, tion programs have established more providing food and shelter for many tending than a million acres of trees on game and non-game species.