Clearcutting

Clearcutting is a forest-harvesting method that removes nearly all trees from a defined area in one operation. It creates an open site where new forest growth can establish.

Forest canopy: The upper layer of foliage formed by the crowns of trees in a forest. Removing nearly all trees eliminates the canopy across the harvested area.
Rotation forestry: Forest management that grows and harvests stands on recurring cycles called rotations. Clearcuts can begin a new rotation by removing a mature stand at once.
Forest fragmentation: The division of continuous forest into smaller, more isolated patches. Large or repeated clearcuts can break connected forest into separated habitat patches.
Selective logging: The harvesting of selected trees while leaving others standing in the forest. It removes chosen trees rather than nearly all trees in one operation.
Forest regeneration: The renewal of a forest through the establishment and growth of trees. New trees must establish after harvest for the site to become forest again.
Plantation forestry: The establishment and management of planted tree stands, often for timber production. Clearcutting can prepare a site for planting a uniform, commercially useful stand.
Edge effect: Changes in environmental conditions and species interactions near the boundary between habitats. A clearcut creates new forest edges with altered light, wind, and temperature.
Shelterwood system: A silvicultural system that harvests a stand through successive cuts while retaining seed and shelter trees. Its gradual removals contrast with clearcutting’s single, near-total removal.
Seed tree method: A regeneration method that leaves a small number of mature trees to provide seed after harvest. Unlike clearcutting, it retains seed-producing trees across the cut area.
Salvage logging: The harvesting of trees damaged or killed by disturbances such as fire, wind, or insects. A clearcut can be used to remove large amounts of damaged timber after disturbance.

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