Forest Vegetation Management for Conifer Production

Book excerpt: Representing the work of an interdisciplinary team of 20 specialists, this text consolidates, for the first time, the information available on forest vegetation management and integrates this practice with other silvicultural considerations. It provides a conceptual framework as well as a database for improving forest vegetation management decisions. In an accurate and complete mannner, it quantifies opportunities for enhancing forest productivity, illustrates the value of vegetation management treatments in protecting forest resources and investments, outlines the concept of economic thresholds, highlights progress in establishing such limits and consolidates the information on treatment efficacy, advantages and disadvantages and tradeoffs involved. Forest managers will find it useful to evaluate silvicultural prescriptions and investment decisions; forest planners and resource specialists can use it as a reference source for preparing environmental impact assessments; and regulatory officials can use it to train and upgrade the skills of professionals.