TIMBERING HELPS WILDLIFE THRIVE

Our stewardship team recently completed a sustainable timbering project at Stroupe Forest Preserve in Gaston County, thinning out loblolly pines to improve wildlife habitat.

With increasing development and habitat fragmentation, our forests are no longer able to function naturally. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize effective management to maintain the health of our forests and suitable wildlife habitat. Forest management is the process of improving the health of a forest through tools like prescribed fire, planting trees, controlling invasive species, and sustainably harvesting timber. The goal is to ensure timbering is done sustainably while continuing to provide habitat for wildlife, recreational areas, and protect our air and water.

Sustainable timbering is not deforestation. It involves strategically and intentionally harvesting trees while also ensuring regrowth of the area and long-term well-being of the forest. Instead of clearing large areas, foresters select certain trees to harvest, leaving others to grow. Sustainable tree harvesting minimizes the environmental damage and includes plans to replant the harvested area, unlike deforestation.

Timbering Benefits Wildlife

Tree harvesting can have multiple benefits to wildlife, including creating habitat and increasing food availability. Cutting down canopy trees, the taller trees in a forest that cover smaller trees and plants, increases sunlight at the forest floor and encourages more ground vegetation to grow. This vegetation is especially beneficial to wildlife that browse this new tender growth, which supports more flowers and fruits. Many native ground-nesting bird species like the American woodcock, wild turkey, Eastern meadowlark, and Northern bobwhite quail find shelter and insects to eat in these newly opened spaces. Without strategic tree harvesting, sunlight cannot penetrate the ground and vegetation dies, causing a serious decline in the quality of wildlife habitat.

Not only does sustainable timbering increase the variety of plants and animals in a forest by enhancing habitat variety and expanding food availability but also by protecting the physical environment. Most notably, sustainable harvesting practices help control sedimentation and soil erosion. Leaving tree roots intact and minimizing damage to remaining trees and vegetation stabilizes the soil, prevents erosion and reduces flood risk in surrounding areas. Additionally, the careful removal of trees can decrease the risk of disease and pests in a forest.

When done correctly and sustainably, tree harvesting can create vital grassland habitat where animals and plants can flourish. Timbering also allows landowners to reinvest sale proceeds back into their properties, ensuring the health of these lands for generations to come.