The irregular shelterwood system: Review, classification, and potential application to forests affected by partial disturbances.

• DOI: 10.1093/jof/107.8.405
• Publication Date: 2009-12-01
• Authors: Patricia Raymond; Steve Bédard; Vincent Roy; Catherine Larouche; Stéphane Tremblay
• Keywords: Silviculture

Structurally different from even-aged and balanced uneven-aged stands, irregular stands are an integral part of forested landscapes in northeastern North America. The maintenance or restoration stand structure may be desirable, especially areas under ecosystem-based management. This can achieved at the level through implementation shelterwood systems. objectives this synthesis to assemble existing knowledge about system, clarify terminology use, discuss its place silviculture Irregular is compared with other regeneration methods we propose a classification based on three variants. silvicultural system compatible management forest types driven by partial mortality gap dynamics provides opportunities for maintaining old-growth attributes. However, it presents important challenges, regards planning, growth yield prediction, operational application.