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Renovation techniques

Virtual Windbreak

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Thinning

Thinning is simply the removal (cutting) of certain trees, with the goal of reducing the competition for the remaining trees.  The amount and number of trees to remove will vary depending on the starting density and the desired final density.  Windbreaks may also be thinned by killing individual trees by girdling, or through selective herbicide use.  These techniques allow dead trees to remain standing for a while, providing some protection and some wildlife habitat.  Care must be taken with herbicides, however, so that the desired trees are not killed by “flashback” – taking up herbicide from undesired trees through root grafts.  More details about thinning can be found below.

Harvested trees can sometimes be turned into lumber, if they are large enough and there are many trees to be cut.  Contact your state forestry agency to find out more information on the timber potential of your windbreaks.  More often, though, the logs and other debris are piled and burned, or cut into firewood.  Sometimes, the wood is chipped and allowed to decay on site, returning valuable nutrients and carbon to the soil.  Additionally, some species of wildlife use woody debris as part of their habitat requirements. 

You may view the video on thinning, or more information on thinning, with a real-world example, can be found at the end of this section.