I have a couple hundred acres of my property that is very thick with trees. I run cattle as well and the amount of grass and forage under the canopy is not very good, even basically non existent in many parts. I've taken out most all the dead stuff and i am looking at thinning out the live trees now to increase the grass underneath. I am also wanting to leave the forest healthy for the decades to come. I guess i'm looking for some advice on the size, shape, right amount of distance to keep between trees, etc on which trees to cull and at what size the tree is most valuable and any further growth won't add any value and may even decrease value. I don't want to clear cut. Hoping for some advice before i start in. Thanks!
I have about 60% Douglas Fir, 15% Lodge Pole Pine, 10% Alpine Fir and the rest Quaken Aspen. Mostly interested in advice on the Douglas Fir and Lodge Pole Pine as they can have value as logs.
What youre wanting to do is called 'crop tree release' and theres plenty of info published on it. I dont know those species but i bet googling that phrase and maybe your state or 'softwood' with it will turn up a lot. Managing for mixed use creates more considerations to base your keep or cull decisions upon so dont think theres a hard and fast rule. A poor tree might never make a sawlog but might keep shade on a waterhole and reduce evaporation, making it valuable. That sort of thing.
Running cattle will usually degrade the value of the timber from root damage. The softwood roots are quite shallow. Damaged roots means rot. Horses can debark a tree also. The critters also compact the soils leading to less aeration and poor drainage. Can increase wind throw since the forest is typically managed to be more open. Over here in the NE, white spruce anchor roots usually emerge on top of the ground and feeder roots are down in the upper layers. Cattle like spruce for scratching posts to. They aren't even a good choice for the lawn, the mower is going to scalp roots. Any of those trees on your list grow roots like that? Hardwoods out here typically stay under the sod. With tree canopy, the feed is going to be poor anyway.
Google it and read up more on it. Lots of published papers online.
Running cattle on those forested leases is some of the best ground you can get out west. It's quite popular.
Here is a USDA resource on Silvopasture(what you are doing) that will probably be helpful Silvopasture (https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/practices/silvopasture.php) with tons of links to other resources and info.
With a couple of hundred acres, it would be well worth the expense of hiring a consulting forester to develop a management plan to optimize the value of the property for timber and grazing. Id4ster on this forum may be near you, or you could visit ACF.com website to find one near you.
silvopasture is indeed what you are discussing, from a forest science perspective. Before embarking on any management you need to be very clear about your goals. You should figure this out before talking to any foresters or range management folks.
Typically in semi arid mountain areas there are trade offs between forest cover and forage and there is typically some "happy" point where forest cover keeps ground cooler allowing grasses a longer growing season but that are not so dense that they consume all the moisture and keep grasses from growing. The knowledge you are looking for is apt to be very local. I would recommend that, after defining your goals, you contact your county extension agent to see what sort advise they may have in terms of defining an optimal forest cover level and if there are specific tree issues (beetle) to be aware of when you start the harvest.
Is this land you own or have from a govt lease? Where abouts are you?
It is private property, been in the family for nearly a century now. Cows have grazed the area for around 70 or 80 years now. It's about 35 miles east of Idaho Falls, Idaho, around Swan Valley area.
I think thats a good idea contacting a local agent and make up a plan for it. I've worked with a few on weeds and brush control so they can point me in the right direction. Around here the south slopes are pretty bare of trees and the north slopes are pretty thick. So i have a lot of ground to manage against sage brush too.
Yes, seek out the advice of a professional consulting forester, conservation district forester, or DNR service forester servicing your area.
You recognize the need for thinning. Good going. We can't do it from here. You need a knowledgeable person that can help you out in no time. I would find a consulting forester, then either a logging contractor or put together a crew.
Forage production under a forest canopy can be relatively high. If you have a forest, then there is plenty of moisture for shrubs, grasses and forbs. You are on to something.