This practice should never be implemented before controlling invasive species that may be present as this will only serve to provide enhanced growth and proliferation of the invasive plants, in addition to making future invasive control efforts more difficult and costly.
(Additional text is below video if viewed on a mobile phone.)
Forest Stand Improvement (FSI) is performed to provide:
-adjustment of species composition following previous harvesting practices and the recent historical elimination of fire.
– a greater amount of sunlight to reach the forest floor, in hopes of enhancing the regeneration of hard mast trees such as the oaks and walnuts. More on this subject and justification later…
Herbicide with blue dye is used to prevent resprouting of the severed trees.
Watch the sunlight increase on the forest floor in the video as mostly maple populations are being reduced. Chainsaws with additional proprietary herbicide applicators are used on larger trees as needed.