Thinning Practices in Southern Pines - With Pest Management Recommendations

T. Evan Nebeker – Respectively, professor, Department of Entomology,
John D. Hodges – Professor, Department of Forestry, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS,
Bob K. Karr – Assistant professor, Department of Forestry, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, and
David M. Moehring – Professor (deceased), Department of Forestry, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS.

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Technical Bulletin 1703, December 1985.

Impacts of Thinning on Nontimber Values

Thinning may influence forest values other than timber. In southern forests, the nontimber values most often affected include wildlife habitat, recreation (esthetics), grazing, and water quality and quantity. As previously pointed out, these values are generally improved by thinning dense stands.

But any type of cutting, including thinning, may diminish recreational values, at least for a short period. Freshly cut stands are not esthetically pleasing, and their recreational uses such as for hunting and hiking may diminish for a time; however, in the long run, thinning to a relatively low basal area will create a more favorable environment for recreation (Halls 1978).

Likewise, the increased precipitation reaching the forest floor when the canopy cover is reduced by thinning can influence quality as well as quantity of water flow.

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