2019

Preserving Undergrowth in Forest Works

Today, forests play an increasingly important role not only in the extraction of renewable resources, but also in the preservation of natural diversity, recreation, reduction of negative climate changes, etc. ecosystem services. Therefore, one of the most important tasks of foresters is to maintain the diversity, productivity and health of the forest ecosystem. This work requires an understanding of the developments in the forest and how economic activities can affect the forest. Therefore, great attention is paid to the preservation of natural forest structures (biologically old trees, groups of trees, trees with large nests, wet depressions, anthills, fox and badger caves, etc.), incl. also relatively small trees and shrubs or undergrowth growing in the forest.

Rowan-trees, buckthorns, hazel-trees, bird-cherry trees, as well as other trees and shrubs grow in undergrowths. They do not grow into dominant trees, but they play an important role in a healthy forest ecosystem. Undergrowth trees and shrubs are a source of food and a place of refuge for many wild insects, birds and animals. Therefore, it should be kept in the forest to the extent that it does not limit the possibility of preparing the soil and restoring the forest with the most valuable tree species, and do not pose occupational safety risks when performing forestry works.

JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) regularly improves the environmental protection requirements developed by the company. In order to facilitate their successful implementation, LVM also recommends others to apply the following (see the picture below) undergrowth conservation method in areas where thinning is performed.

Before the felling site development, thick undergrowth is cut down on the forest roads and adjacent to them to allow the timber to be placed and stored. If underground does not interfere with the machine work, it is not cut. In turn, in the middle lane between the car roads, undergrowth is preserved to such an extent that it is possible to safely cut down trees that are lagging behind growth wise, are damaged, and other trees that are to be cut down within the framework of the thinning works. This will preserve the undergrowth, which can be used as a shelter and a feeding place by forest residents. Similar actions should be taken in felling areas, which are planned to be restored naturally rather than by planting seedlings. Prior to seamless felling, it should be planned to keep one or more undergrowth lanes that connect the edges of the growing forest and include other natural forest elements to be preserved in the felling area, such as biologically old tree groups, wet depressions, animal caves and decaying tree groups.