Silvicultural Systems

The rapid rate of forest clearance in many tropical countries and increasing demand for fuelwood and timber as world populations rise cause serious problems. The reduced area of forest available must be treated so as to produce the highest possible sustained yield of suitable timber, and yet protect the environment and water supplies, conserving wild life, enhancing attractive scenery and giving opportunities for recreation. In Europe complete regimes for regenerating, tending and harvesting forests have provided effective solutions to these problems, and are being used successfully in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical forestry, often under conditions very different from those in which they originated. This study describes the theoretical basis and practical application of 20 silvicultural systems so that foresters and land managers, ecologists and landscape designers can select and use those best suited to their needs.