clear cutting

1. Clearcutting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Clearcut (disambiguation).
After a century of clearcutting, this forest, near the source of the Lewis and Clark River in Clatsop County,
Oregon, is a patchwork with each patch composed of trees that are mostly the same age
Clearcutting, clearfelling, or clearcut logging is a forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees
in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along withshelterwood and seed tree harvests, is
used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that
require an abundance of sunlight or grow in large, even-age stands.[1]
Logging companies and forest-
worker unions in some countries support the practice for scientific, safety, and economic reasons.
Detractors see clearcutting as synonymous with deforestation, destroying natural habitats[2]
and
contributing to climate change.[3]
Clearcutting is the most popular and economically profitable method of logging. However,
clearcutting also imposes other externalities in the form of detrimental side effects such as loss of
topsoil; the value of these costs is intensely debated by economic, environmental, and other
interests. Aside from the purpose of harvesting wood, clearcutting is also used to create land for
farming.[4]
The "insatiable human demand for wood and arable land" through clearcutting and other
activities has led to the loss of over half of the world's rainforests.[5]
While deforestation of both temperate and tropical rainforests through clearcutting has received
considerable media attention in recent years, the other large forests of the world, such as the taiga,
or boreal forests, are also under threat of rapid development. The same reasons for preserving the
world’s tropical rainforests also apply to the taiga, as do the reasons for destroying them. In Russia,
as in North America and Scandinavia, creating protected areas and granting long-term leases to
tend and regenerate trees—thus maximizing future harvests—are ways of limiting the harmful
effects of clearcutting.[6]
Long-term studies of clearcut forests, such as studies of the Pasoh
Rainforest in Malaysia, are also important in providing insights into the preservation of forest
resources worldwide.[7]
Contents
[hide]
 1Types
 2Effects on the environment
o 2.1Negative impacts
o 2.2Positive perspectives
o 2.3Effects on wildlife
 3See also
 4References
 5External links
Types[edit]

2. Many variations of clearcutting exist; the most common professional practices are:[8]
 Standard (uniform) clearcut – removal of every stem (whether commercially viable or not), so
no canopy remains.
 Patch clearcut – removal of all the stems in a limited, predetermined area (patch).
 Strip clearcut – removal of all the stems in a row (strip), usually placed perpendicular to
the prevailing winds in order to minimize the possibility of windthrow.[9]
 Clearcutting-with-reserves – removal of the majority of standing stems save a few reserved for
other purposes (for example as snags for wildlife habitat), (often confused with the seed
tree method).
 Slash-and-burn – the permanent conversion of tropical and subtropicals forests for agricultural
purposes. This is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical forests in overpopulated regions
in developing and least developed countries. Slash-and-burn entails the removal of all stems in
a particular area. This is a form of deforestation, because the land is converted to other uses.
Slash and burn techniques are typically used by civilians in search of land for living and
agricultural purposes. The forest is first clear cut, and the remaining material is burned. One of
the driving forces behind this process is a result of overpopulation and subsequent sprawl.
These methods also occur as a result of commercial farming. The lumber is sold for profit, and
the land, cleared of all remaining brush and suitable for agricultural development, is sold to
farmers.[4]
 Selective Harvesting – Selective harvesting is perhaps the most environmentally friendly method
of logging. Unlike the aforementioned techniques, this method is used solely for harvesting
wood. Logs are selectively harvested around old-growth trees, whose durability and long
interconnectedness with the ecosystem provide unique habitats for plants and animals. This
method of deforestation is intended to preserve the ecosystem while still reaping the benefits of
timber harvesting. However, selective harvesting can still cause habitat destruction,
fragmentation, and microclimate alteration that can harm the remaining trees and ecosystem.[4]
Clearcutting contrasts with selective cutting, such as high grading, in which only commercially
valuable trees are harvested, leaving all others. This practice can reduce the genetic viability of the
forest over time, resulting in poorer or less vigorousoffspring in the stand.[citation needed]
Clearcutting also
differs from a coppicing system, by allowing revegetation by seedlings. Additionally, destructive
forms of forest management are commonly referred to as 'clearcutting'.
Clearcutting in Southern Finland

3. Clearcutting near Eugene, Oregon
Effects on the environment[edit]
Environmental groups criticize clear-cutting as destructive to the water, soil, wildlife,
and atmosphere, and recommend the use of sustainable alternatives.[10]
Clear-cutting has a very big
impact on the water cycle. Trees hold water and topsoil. Clear-cutting in forests removes the trees
which would otherwise have been transpiring large volumes of water and also physically damages
the grasses, mosses, lichens, and ferns populating the understorey. All this bio-mass normally
retains water during rainfall. Removal or damage of the biota reduces the local capacity to retain
water, which can exacerbate flooding and lead to increased leaching of nutrients from the soil. The
maximum nutrient loss occurs around year two, and returns to pre-clearcutting levels by year four.[11]
Clear-cutting also prevents trees from shading riverbanks, which raises the temperature of
riverbanks and rivers, contributing to the extinction of some fish
andamphibian species.[where?]
Because the trees no longer hold down the soil, riverbanks
increasingly erode as sediment into the water, creating excess nutrients which exacerbate the
changes in the river and create problems miles away, in the sea.[10]
All of the extra sediment and
nutrients that leach into the streams cause the acidity of the stream to increase, which can kill
marine life if the increase is great enough.[11]
The nutrient content of the soil was found to return to
five percent of pre-clearcutting levels after 64 years, which demonstrates how clearcutting affects the
environment for many years.[12]
Clearcutting can destroy an area's ecological integrity in a number of ways, including: the destruction
of buffer zones which reduce the severity of flooding by absorbing and holding water; the immediate
removal of forest canopy, which destroys the habitat for many rainforest-dependent insects and
bacteria; the removal of forest carbon sinks, leading to global warmingthrough the increased human-
induced and natural carbon dioxide build-up in the atmosphere; the elimination of fish and wildlife
species due to soil erosion and habitat loss; the removal of underground worms, fungi and bacteria
that condition soil and protect plants growing in it from disease; the loss of small-scale economic
opportunities, such as fruit-picking, sap extraction, and rubber tapping; and the destruction of
aesthetic values and recreational opportunities.[13]
Negative impacts[edit]
Clearcutting can have major negative impacts, both for humans and local flora and fauna.[14]
A study
from the University of Oregon found that in certain zones, areas that were clear cut had nearly three
times the amount of erosion due to slides. When the roads required by the clearcutting were factored
in, the increase in slide activity appeared to be about 5 times greater compared to nearby forested
areas. The roads built for clearcutting interrupt normal surface drainage because the roads are not
as permeable as the normal ground cover. The roads also change subsurface water movement due
to the redistribution of soil and rock.[15]
Clearcutting may lead to increased stream flow during storms,
loss of habitat and species diversity, opportunities for invasive and weedy species, and negative
impacts on scenery,[16]
as well as a decrease in property values; diminished recreation, hunting, and
fishing opportunities.[17]
Clearcutting decreases the occurrence of natural disturbances like forest fires

4. and natural uprooting. Over time, this can deplete the local seed bank.[18]
An example of what
clearcutting did in Ontario before 1900 can be found in Edmund Zavitz.
In temperate and boreal climates, clearcutting can have an effect on the depth of snow, which is
usually greater in a clearcut area than in the forest, due to a lack
of interception and evapotranspiration. This results in less soil frost, which in combination with higher
levels of direct sunlight results in snowmelt occurring earlier in the spring and earlier peak runoff.[19]
The world's rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of
deforestation. Between June 2000 and June 2008 more than 150 000 square kilometers of rain
forest were cleared in the Brazilian Amazon. Huge areas of forest have already been lost. For
example, only around eight percent of the Atlantic forest in South America now remains.[20]
While
deforestation rates have slowed since 2004, forest loss is expected to continue for the foreseeable
future.[21]
Farmers slash and burn large parcels of forest every year to create grazing and crop lands,
but the forest's nutrient-poor soil often renders the land ill-suited for agriculture, and within a year or
two, the farmers move on.[22]
Positive perspectives[edit]
Clearcutting can be practiced to encourage the growth and proliferation of tree species that require
high light intensity.[23]
Generally, a harvest area wider than double the height of the adjacent trees will
no longer be subject to the moderating influence of the woodland on the microclimate.[1]
The width of
the harvest area can thus determine which species will come to dominate. Those with high tolerance
to extremes in temperature, soil moisture, and resistance to browsing may be established, in
particular secondary successional pioneer species.
Clearcutting can be used by foresters as a method of mimicking a natural disturbance and
increasing primary successionalspecies, such as poplar (aspen), willow and black cherry in North
America. Clearcutting has also proved to be effective in creating animal habitat and browsing areas,
which otherwise would not exist without natural stand-replacing disturbances such as wildfires, large
scale windthrow, or avalanches.
Clearcuts are used to help regenerate species that cannot compete in mature forests. A number of
them are aspen, jack pine and, in areas with poor soils, oaks—are important species for both game
and nongame wildlife species. Clearcutting can also lead to increased vascular-plant diversity in the
area. This is most pronounced after a couple years of clearcutting and in herb-rich forests where
scarification took place.[18]
No significant changes in water temperature were observed when patch clearcutting was done 100
feet away from a river. This suggests that patch clearcutting is a possible solution to concerns about
changes in water temperature due to clearcutting. The effects of clearcutting on soil nutrient content
were not examined in this study.[24]
More recently, forest managers have found that clearcutting oak stands helps regenerate oak forests
in areas of poor soil. The tree canopies in oak forests often shade out the ground, making it
impossible for newly sprouted oaks to grow. When the mature trees are removed, the saplings stand
a chance of recruiting into the forest.[25]
Effects on wildlife[edit]
Clearcutting's main destruction is towards habitats, where it makes the habitats more vulnerable in
the future to damage by insects, diseases, acid rain, and wind. Removal of all trees from an area
destroys the physical habitats of many species in wildlife. Also clearcutting can contribute to
problems for ecosystems that depend on forests, like the streams and rivers which run through
them.[26]
In Canada, the black-tailed deer population is at further risk after clearcutting. The deer are a food
source for wolves and cougars, as well as First Nations and other hunters. While deer may not be at

5. risk in cities and rural countryside, where they can be seen running through neighbourhoods and
feeding on farms, in higher altitude areas they require forest shelter.[27]
See also[edit]
Main article: Outline of forestry
 Clearcutting in British Columbia
 Land clearing in Australia
 Even-aged timber management
 List of tree species by shade tolerance – shade intolerant and some intermediate species are
primarily regenerated with clearcuts
 Seed production and gene diversity
 Deforestation
 Amazon rainforest
 Deforestation and climate change
References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b
Dr. J. Bowyer; K. Fernholz; A. Lindburg; Dr. J. Howe; Dr. S. Bratkovich (2009-05-
28). "The Power of Silviculture: Employing Thinning, Partial Cutting Systems and Other Intermediate
Treatments to Increase Productivity, Forest Health and Public Support for Forestry" (pdf). Dovetail
Partners Inc. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
2. Jump up^ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (1992). "Clear cut." Terms of
Environment: Glossary, Abbreviations and Acronyms. p. 6. Document no. EPA-175-B-92-001.
Accessed 2011-10-12.
3. Jump up^ Center for Biological Diversity, Tucson, AZ. "Clearcutting and Climate Change." Accessed
2011-10-12.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c
Global Environmental Governance Project: Forests
5. Jump up^ Rain Forest Threats. Retrieved: 2015-01-08.
6. Jump up^ Kunganavolok (June 25, 1998). "Taiga! taiga! burning bright." The Economist. Retrieved:
2013-08-06.
7. Jump up^ Khan, Madeline (February 9, 2004). "Clear cut forests in Malaysia offer lessons for logging
worldwide." The Varsity, University of Toronto. Retrieved: 2013-08-06.
8. Jump up^ Helms, John A. (1998-09-01). The Dictionary of Forestry.Society of American
Foresters. ISBN 978-0-939970-73-5.
9. Jump up^ British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC."Clearcut System
Variations." Introduction to Silvicultural Systems. Based on the published workbook: "Introduction to
Silvicultural Systems, second edition (July 1999)." Forest Practices Branch.
10. ^ Jump up to:a b
Clear-cutting land Greeniacs Articles
11. ^ Jump up to:a b
Martin, C. W., Pierce, R. S., Likens, G. E., & Bormann, F. H. (1986). Clearcutting
affects stream chemistry in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Broomall, PA: US Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station.
12. Jump up^ Covington, W. W. (1981). Changes in forest floor organic matter and nutrient content
following clear cutting in northern hardwoods. Ecology, 41-48.
13. Jump up^ What Is Clearcutting? This method of logging can destroy an area's ecological integrity. [1]
14. Jump up^ Forest Encyclopedia Network Advantages and disadvantages of clearcutting
15. Jump up^ Swanson, F.J.; Dyrness, C.T. (1975). "Impact of clear-cutting and road construction on soil
erosion by landslides in the western Cascade Range, Oregon". Geology (Geological Society of
America) 3 (7): 393–396. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1975)3<393:IOCARC>2.0.CO;2.
16. Jump up^ Toso Bozic (September 14, 2009). "Woodlot Harvest". Government of Alberta: Agriculture
and Rural Development. Retrieved 2011-03-07.

6. 17. Jump up^ Foothill Conservancy, Pine Grove, CA (2001)."Clearcutting in local forests." Foothill
Focus. Spring 2001. Accessed 2011-10-12.
18. ^ Jump up to:a b
Pykälä, J. (2004). Immediate increase in plant species richness after clear‐cutting of
boreal herb‐rich forests. Applied vegetation science, 7(1), 29-34.
19. Jump up^ Ottosson Löfvenius, M.; Kluge, M.; Lundmark, T.. (2003). "Snow and Soil Frost Depth in
Two Types of Shelterwood and a Clear cut Area". Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research (Taylor &
Francis) 18: 54–63.doi:10.1080/0891060310002345. ISSN 0282-7581.
20. Jump up^ "Reforestation". Arkive. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
21. Jump up^ Future threats to the Amazon rainforest
22. Jump up^ National Geographic:rain forest threats
23. Jump up^ Belt, Kevin and Campbell, Robert (1999). "The Clearcutting Controversy - Myths and
Facts." West Virginia University Extension Service. Accessed 2011-12-12.
24. Jump up^ Brown, G. W., & Krygier, J. T. (1970). Effects of clear‐cutting on stream temperature.
Water resources research, 6(4), 1133–1139.
25. Jump up^ Clearcuts Provide Multiple Benefits to Forests and Wildlife
26. Jump up^ Responses of Wildlife to Clearcutting and Associated Treatments in the Eastern United
States. [2]
27. Jump up^ Ancient Forest News - Clearcutting threatens black-tailed deer
 Roy, Vincent; Ruelb, Jean-Claude and Plamondon, André P. (1999). "Establishment, growth and survival
of natural regeneration after clearcutting and drainage on forested wetlands." Forest Ecology and
Management, Volume 129, Issues 1-3, 17 April 2000, pp. 253–267.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related
to Clearcutting.
Look up clear cut in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.
 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Digital Archives - Clearcutting and Logging: The War
of the Woods
 Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Clearcutting, accessed 14 December
2009
 Forest Policy Research page: California citizens to stop Sierra Pacifics plan to clearcut one
million acres of Sierra forest, accessed 14 December 2009
 Ancient Forest News - Clearcutting threatens black-tailed deer
 Nova Scotia Public Lands Coalition: Clearcutting
 "Free Grassy » The Boreal Forest". web.archive.org. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
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