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1 Definition of a Silvicultural System 4 The Decision Process Appendix 1 Answer Key
2 Major Types of Systems 5 There's More to Learn Appendix 2 Advantages and Disadvantages
3 Variations of Major Types 6 Implementation Appendix 3 References

Remember the Intent of the Silvicultural System

Silvicultural systems were developed to reflect a sense of conservation, or to provide for predictable future yields of goods and values from a stand even while harvesting some of those goods now. Although long-term sustainability may become an ethical issue for individual landowners and a political issue on publicly owned lands, this concept is central to the practice of forestry itself.

A silvicultural system attempts to link this concept of sustainability to individual stands. When we prescribe a silvicultural system, we must think long-term since that is what these systems were designed for.

Cartoon of man thinking of the future forest.

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Conceptually, foresters develop a unique silvicultural system for each forest stand. Yet all silvicultural systems include three basic component treatments or functions: regeneration; stand tending; and harvesting.
Ralph Nyland (1996)

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