"Dioclese" NONE wrote in message
...
"symplastless" wrote in message
. ..
Large, fallen trees in various stages of decay contribute much-needed
diversity to terrestrial and aquatic habitats in western forests. When
most biological activity in soil is limited by low moisture availability
in summer, the fallen tree-soil interface offers a relatively cool, moist
habitat for animals and a substrate for microbial and root activity.
Intensified utilization and management can deprive future forests of
large, fallen trees. The impact of this loss on habitat diversity and on
long-term forest productivity must be determined because managers need
sound information on which to base resource management decisions.

Future forests will contain much less coarse woody debris (CWD), and that
debris will be smaller and of different quality than that seen today. We
have the technology to remove most coarse woody debris from the forest;
in fact, current wood utilization standards encourage such removal (fig.
2.1). Moreover, converting natural forests to intensively manipulated
stands reduces tree lifespans from centuries to decades; future trees
will be much smaller than they are today, and wood quality will
undoubtedly be different from that of today's forests.

For much mo
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/L/logging.html


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding
us that we are not the boss.



Central TX here. 1.5 acres of 5 cleared for house, detached garage,
septic system, and firebreak. Native trees in area are juniper ashe
("mountain cedar"), live oak, red oak, with a sprinkling of pecan and
chinaberry. I found a juniper ashe that was cut about 5' height. No bark
left on it, about 18" thick at base, unusually large for this tree. Its
been dead for quite some time. There's other juniper ashe shading it with
undergrowth around it. Rabbits have a hole adjacent to the trunk's base.
Its relatively cool and moist in the area around the dead trunk during the
long TX summer.

If you're somewhat curious, research photographs of central TX hill
country before 1900. You will find it barren of trees, except along
rivers and creeks. The juniper ashe has changed that, and allowed other
trees to populate the region natively.

Great. Just one point. There is a difference between having lots of trees
and having lots of high quality trees.


Yet, most homeowners cut all the juniper ashe
down, leaving sparse stands of live oaks on their property. Tracts
usually are 5-20 acres. Reasons vary from fire hazard (true), ugly
appearance, shades the live oak to death, steals water runoff.

Juniper ashe is highly tolerant of pruning. I've seen no problem with
cutting all branches to 6' in height on 12' tree. Only do this within
wooded area around the house to allow sight within the area. Allows more
sunlight to the live oaks as well. Thinning the juniper ashe from time to
time is also needed. This allows more water runoff to feed the water
table, this local wells and seasonal creeks. But, at the same time,
allows the juniper ashe to continue its work of breaking up the limestone
for eventual soil creation. The remaining land, I've left nature to do
its bidding. I urge all that live within the central TX hill country to
do similar.

Dave