Timber Management

Unthinned portion of a 71 year old red spruce stand in Truro, Nova Scotia (Average Diameter = 18 cm)

Our forests provide an abundance of benefits to Nova Scotians, including thousands of jobs, lumber, paper, clean air, water filtration, wind breaks, aesthetics and recreational opportunities. In order to ensure that these benefits exist for existing as well as future generations, the Timber Management Group undertakes various studies.

These studies mainly concern the various techniques used to manage our forest, such as thinning, planting and weeding. These techniques are referred to as Silviculture. As one example, Commercial Thinning operations can be carried out. In this type of silviculture, some of the trees in an area are harvested while others are allowed to grow at an accelerated rate. When carrying out these operations managers need to know the best techniques to use, the correct timing of the harvest and the future

Thinned portion of the same stand. 30% of the basal area removed 13 years earlier. (Average Diameter = 24cm)

growth of the trees that are left. To answer these questions the Timber Mangement group typically establishes trials, collects data from these trials, analyzes it and publishes the results. These results are then incorporated into decison tools such as keys and computer models. Results are also used by policy makers to make informed decisions regarding regulations, guidleines and policies for Nova Scotia's forests.