Commercial Thinning

 

Commercial thinning is similar to pre-commercial thinning except that the stand is older and some of the trees have reached commercial size; the stand is immature and is too dense for the  crop trees to achieve maximum growth.  In order to maximize the growth rate on the crop trees and minimize the rotation period, thinning is required.  Some of the stems cut in the spacing activity will be large enough to make pulp, studwood, etc, these will be extracted for sale, and the proceeds used to help pay for the thinning operation.

 

In order to qualify for semi-commercial thinning the trees in the stand must be wind firm, young enough to respond to thinning and the density in the upper crown must be high enough that the crowns of the crop trees need releasing.  If these criteria are not met the trees remaining after thinning may blow down or the growth rate may not increase.  Obviously, if either of these things occur our objectives have not been met.