I Quantum Silvics in the Carbon Era

Silviculture has been defined as the art and science of establishing and maintaining a forest system to meet the needs and goals of greater society on a sustainable basis. The key word in this definition being ‘sustainable’. Without sustainability, ‘forest management’ becomes nothing more than an exercise in resource extraction- logging. Silviculture is the heart and soul of the profession of forestry and forest management and as such, its potential needs to be addressed in the carbon world.

Quantum refers to the potential, or possibilities. Quantum silviculture refers to the promise of the application of prescriptive silviculture to influence stand development, growth, yield , and the assimilation of forest carbon resources. There are at minimum three characteristics of sustainable forest management: stand structure, forest structure and age class distribution. These three are critical components of sustainable forestry and as well as maintenance and management of long-term viable carbon pools.

There are many tools in a silviculturist’s toolbox. Thinning from below, precommercial thinning, weeding, pruning, the silvicultural system itself- even-aged and uneven-aged, regeneration- patch cuts or gap-based silviculture. The multiple combinations of these systems introduces even more complexity.

I worked for an Indian Nation in north-central Washington state for a decade or more. Their initial inventory in 1936 was 400 million board feet. Sixty years later and after three cutting cycles their inventory was 960 million board feet. Let us not even consider the board foot increase, but rather the accumulation of carbon resources in this, a managed forest. With the appropriate application of silviculture, we increased stocking in a variety of age classes from 400 MMBF to 960 MMBF- nearly a billion board feet, in a period of 60 years. There are three take home messages from this example : firstly, we can amass huge carbon accumulations with the application of appropriate silviculture; secondly, this did not happen over-night. This was the result of a long-term commitment to a management plan, prescriptive silviculture, and the construct of forestry; and thirdly, we cannot ‘park’ a forest in a carbon project and expect it to stay healthy and productive.

When landowners speak of committing 4,000 acres in this drainage and 10,000 acres in another basin, the first question asked ought to be “ what is the Plan”? What are the silvicultural prescriptions? What do you want the forest to be and look like as you move through the Plan?

T