1. Gary W. Miller USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Morgantown, West Virginia Economic Considerations of Hardwood Silviculture

2. Who said, “It’s Only Money?”

3. Timing – When to treat? 8-10 years before a harvest 8-10 years before a harvest control interfering plants control interfering plants favor desirable advanced regeneration favor desirable advanced regeneration Canopy closure Canopy closure control grapevines control grapevines release crop trees release crop trees Merchantable products Merchantable products commercial operations commercial operations concentrate growth on crop trees concentrate growth on crop trees

4. Grapevine Risk?

6. Effect of vine control on future species composition & value of a 16-yr-old stand Dom & CodomD/CDom & Codom SpeciesPrice(Treated)w/ vines(Not Treated) $/mbf no./ac % % BC90015051.7767439.2 NRO450113.8384.2 H. Maple35020.7021.1 Ash18520.7021.1 Y-P1653010.362412.7 Others509532.8167941.7 Total290100101189100 $ Value$7,793/ac$6,291/ac Value based on 15 mbf/ac, proportional to species composition (6.5 % ROR)

7. Upland hardwood stand age 53 Site index 70 (Coopers Rock SF) No. trees/acBAVolumeValue ------------ % of total -------------- 10153245 20265363 30346976 40418086 50 trees48 %89 %93 % 60539598 705899 441143 ft 2 /ac13.7 Mbf/ac$3,925/ac

8. Percent of Stand Value ( No. trees / ac ) Yellow-poplar 37 % Others 7 % Black cherry 36 % Red oak 20 % (8 trees/ac) (36)(12) (17)

9. Too late!

10. Factors that affect tree value  Species  Size  Quality  Product market

11. Not Too late!

12. Precommercial Thinning  Increase dbh growth  Improve species composition  Improve stand quality

13. Faster growth

14. 10-Year DBH Growth 5 Red Oak Yellow-poplar Black Cherry Chestnut Oak 0 1 2 3 4 Inches Control Release 2.6 3.5 2.9 3.9 2.8 3.7 2.2 3.2

15. Faster growth  1-inch increase in dbh  5-10% increase in volume, value  3- to 5-year decrease in rotation  Reduced risk of mortality

16. Improve Species Composition

17. Reproduction* 12 Years After Even-Age Harvest (SI 70) Species 184 148 142 124 118 95 89 76 272 SMSASRMNROYPLOCBCBIROther 0 50 100 150 200 250300 No. Stems/Acre * Stems 1.0 inch dbh and larger

18. Codominant Stems 12 Years After Even-Age Harvest (SI 70) Species No. Stems/Acre 51 49 37 34 32 29 28 26 57 0 10 20 30 40 50 6070Poor Good LOCSASYPRMNROSMBIRBCOther

19. Improve species composition  Evaluate potential of the whole stand  Limited by initial composition  Impact determined by value difference among species  Trade up – favor high-value species

20. Black Cherry Black Cherry $900 / Mbf Red Oak Red Oak$450 Sugar Maple Sugar Maple$350 Yellow-Poplar Yellow-Poplar$165 Red Maple Red Maple$120 Chestnut Oak Chestnut Oak$116 Basswood Basswood$114 Birch Birch$9 Stumpage Prices (2003)

21. Improve Average Quality

22. Improve quality  Straight stems  Clear stems  Vigor  Potential log height  Potential grade

23. Valuable crop trees in young hardwood stands (MNF stands) AgeAll > 1”D/CD/C & S/Q* ------------ no. stems/ac -------------- 102,600837145 151,55155280 201,25430725 1,14116226 3072515021 3558312917 405309520 53 C.Rock 4416920 * Dominant or codominant, black cherry, northern red oak, sugar maple, good quality.

24. Effect of crop tree release on future species comp. & value of a 12-yr-old stand Dom & CodomD/C Crop Trees SpeciesPrice(Not Treated)Hi Quality(Treated) $/mbf no./ac % % BC9006011.827 36.0 NRO450479.233 44.0 H. Maple35011322.26456.7 Ash185173.3756.7 Y-P16510019.65756.7 Others5017333.95200 Total51010024075100 $ Value$4,210/ac$8,534/ac Value based on 15 mbf/ac, proportional to species composition (6.7 % ROR)

25. Start Early

27. Potential Benefits Increase dbh growth Increase dbh growth 10-15 % increase in volume (value) 10-15 % increase in volume (value) Improve stand quality 5-10 % increase in value 5-10 % increase in value Improve species composition 15-60 % increase in value 15-60 % increase in value

28. Opportunities to increase returns  Vine control  Crop tree management  Prepare for successful regeneration

29. For More Information Gary W. Miller USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Northern Research Station 180 Canfield St. Morgantown, WV 26505 Phone: (304) 285-1521 e-mail: gwmiller@fs.fed.us