Why forests are thinned?

Why regular harvesting and ‘thinning’ is essential to keeping a forest healthy, diverse and sustainable.

A working forest is essentially a farm that grows trees. As with other crops, this involves a regular cycle of planting and harvesting.

Most working forests focus on producing ‘saw logs’ — high quality timber that is used in the construction industry or to make furniture. This is the crop with the highest value.

To produce the best harvest of ‘saw logs’, and maximise the value of the crop, a working forest needs regular ‘thinning’.

This involves removing weaker, crooked or diseased trees to give the remaining trees more light, more water and less competition for soil. It helps them grow better, as well as promoting diversity. It can also encourage new seedlings to establish in place of the harvested trees when managing for continuous forest cover.

Where suitable wood products markets exist, all parts of the harvest are sold. ‘Saw logs’ fetch the highest price, with lower-grade ‘roundwood’ helping to cover the cost of ‘thinning’ and replanting.

Find out more about the business behind keeping a forest healthy in What is a working forest? on the Drax website.