Old Field Management

These photos were taken on a member’s woodlot in Annapolis County.

Like many forests on North Mountain, this stand originated from an abandoned agricultural field that has regenerated with mainly white spruce (also known as pasture spruce). At approximately 65 years old, the mature white spruce in this stand are continuously being blown down.

White spruce tends to have shallow rooting depth to begin with, but here the rooting depth is further restricted by soils with a high clay content which makes it harder for roots to develop deeper than a few inches. This combined with the increasing frequency of wind disturbance and the even age structure of the stand creates the “perfect storm” for continuous windfall to occur.

In these situations, we would aim to do a salvage treatment in order to recover a portion of the wood volume, but because the soils here are so sensitive, they are more susceptible to different hazards that can arise from operational activity, such as rutting and compaction.

Operational planning in forestry is not always easy, but it’s important to consider all of these factors, and work with all of the pieces of the puzzle to find the best solution for both the landowner and the forest ecosystem!