Selection

Species that can be successfully regenerated with the selection regeneration method are quite shade-tolerant, forming understories of desirable seedlings while the upper canopies fully occupy the site. For the shade-intolerant pines to be regenerated successfully with the selection method, cutting cycles must be more frequent, usually every five years, pines must be regenerated during each entry and some trees must be removed in all size classes from the smallest to the largest during each entry to ensure that trees from each size class are progressing and growing into the next size class. This sequence of cutting generally is not cost-efficient and is rarely used to regenerate southern pines.

Advantages 

 Disadvantages

Since the stand has no regeneration period and no rotation, a less disturbed appearance is maintained.

The most tolerant species will dominate stand composition, whether or not they are desirable to the landowner.

The stand is less susceptible to catastrophic loss due to wildfire, insect, disease or climatic factors.

Large volumes of high-quality timber are difficult to produce.

Habitat is maintained for those wildlife species that prefer continuous forest cover.

Early successional species of plants and animals are adversely affected. Usually there is less wildlife species diversity than with other regeneration methods.

Continuous forest cover and leaf litter are maintained for site protection.

Silvicultural operations are extended over a large area, and often repeated once each cutting cycle.

Seed sources are always on site, thereby assuring successful regeneration establishment.

More roads are necessary and they are used more often, thereby increasing erosion potential and maintenance costs.

Area-efficient management practices and silviculture operations are difficult to apply, e.g., prescribed burning.