Post Timber Harvest Management

[FINONYMOUS]

I am looking for opinions, ideas, and results on management techniques post timber harvest. The loggers will be done in the next couple of weeks.
It is 80 acres located in Central Arkansas that encompasses a single ridge that runs north and south, with steep ravines and semi-flat on top. I consulted foresters, marked every tree to remain(primarily white oaks and a few red oaks), and I also flagged the heads of my ravines to not cut the steeper areas.

Do I seed buckwheat immediately following to help prevent erosion? Do I wait until September October to try and get some clover and wheat down?
I would like to manage for native grasses and forbs on the majority of the areas that have been opened up, so what herbicide and when do I need to spray to stop undesirable stump sprouts/unwanted regen.

Prescribed fire will be a huge proponent of my management strategy, but do I wait until next winter to do a dormant season burn to start knocking down some of the slash? Or sooner?

Do I try to spread some native seed mixes this winter? Or do I wait to see what the seed bank responds with?

Just looking for any ideas or experience with managing post timber harvest. My number one priority is to prevent it from becoming a nasty thicket and removing all invasives. I plan on going in and doing follow up TSI in September.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

You will have an explosion of growth when the dormant seeds in the soil see sunlight for the first time. I don't think spreading buckwheat seed would have a significant impact on erosion. Something will fill in those openings quickly.

If there are areas that you plan on keeping open trails, you could seed those areas down with either a food plot mix (clovers, chicory, etc.) to feed the deer and keep the soil in place or just a grass mix to hold the soil without concentrating deer there.

I think it would make sense to go out and stump spray individual stumps that you definitely want to kill (assuming those cut stumps would otherwise sprout). I wouldn't spray large areas though until you see what you have growing naturally. You might have some good varieties growing there that you want to keep.

 

[BenA]

If you're going to maintain it with fire, I'd go in as soon as possible and start clearing firebreaks to where you can maintain them in some way annually. See which ones make sense to plant with food and which ones that you'll keep mowed to disk. That should keep you plenty busy for the rest of the summer. It is a lot easier to maintain firebreaks than to keep making them. And, I'd do like @Ben.MN/WI said above. See what you have coming in and kill what you don't want.

 

[FINONYMOUS]

You will have an explosion of growth when the dormant seeds in the soil see sunlight for the first time. I don't think spreading buckwheat seed would have a significant impact on erosion. Something will fill in those openings quickly.

If there are areas that you plan on keeping open trails, you could seed those areas down with either a food plot mix (clovers, chicory, etc.) to feed the deer and keep the soil in place or just a grass mix to hold the soil without concentrating deer there.

I think it would make sense to go out and stump spray individual stumps that you definitely want to kill (assuming those cut stumps would otherwise sprout). I wouldn't spray large areas though until you see what you have growing naturally. You might have some good varieties growing there that you want to keep.

That’s good advice. I was leaning that direction, so I’ll treat “as needed.” I’m lucky to not have too many issues with invasives, a little lespedeza that I have already knocked back significantly and one small area of stiltgrass. I will wait to see how the seed bank responds then decide on seeding any natives.

What are your thoughts on fire timing? Harvest will be done soon. Do I wait a full calendar year before trying to burn to allow the seedbank a chance to get established? Or do I burn this winter to knock back a big chunk of the slash?

 

[FINONYMOUS]

If you're going to maintain it with fire, I'd go in as soon as possible and start clearing firebreaks to where you can maintain them in some way annually. See which ones make sense to plant with food and which ones that you'll keep mowed to disk. That should keep you plenty busy for the rest of the summer. It is a lot easier to maintain firebreaks than to keep making them. And, I'd do like @Ben.MN/WI said above. See what you have coming in and kill what you don't want.

Yeah this is definitely something I plan to jump on immediately after harvest. Luckily I have some good natural fire breaks (two creeks) but there are a couple that I will need to put in to break up the burns in to smaller “patchwork” areas.

 

[KY wild]

Except the roads were they moved soil the rest of the ground should have plenty of roots in the ground to stop erosion. It would be good to throw something on road like wheat or buckwheat though to prevent erosion and I would hope they put in some water diversions on sloped roads before they leave, which is required in Ky

 

[Double Creek]

I’m sure you have probably already done this, but search for all articles and publications from Craig Harper at University of Tennessee. He’s the leading expert on fire, food plots and managing early successional habitat. With that being said, I think he would say to be patient and see how the seed bank responds

 

[bigboreblr]

80 acres is some room to work with. You might need some nasty thick stuff for bedding. Look around the nieghborhood, make whats missing.

Contractors use cereal rye for erosion control. You need some here n there where things have been worked.

I make foodplots out of trails at camp. The loggers come in and do what they want every 4 or 5 years.

Oaks take a good bit of time to recover, if this is a good chunk of your food plan.

There will likely be young trees you want to save. I would look into how to save them with prescribed burns.

What equipment is available to do what with?

The local fire company might be able to give you some advice if this is new to you to do. NY is not too happy about that here. IF you have a tractor with a bucket, buy a good set of forks for it and make some piles is a few spots.

 

[PatinPA]

That’s good advice. I was leaning that direction, so I’ll treat “as needed.” I’m lucky to not have too many issues with invasives, a little lespedeza that I have already knocked back significantly and one small area of stiltgrass. I will wait to see how the seed bank responds then decide on seeding any natives.

What are your thoughts on fire timing? Harvest will be done soon. Do I wait a full calendar year before trying to burn to allow the seedbank a chance to get established? Or do I burn this winter to knock back a big chunk of the slash?

If you have a little bit of stilt grass, eradicate that ASAP. You do not want that to spread at all. It's so tough to get rid of.

 

[RGrizzzz]

I'd wait to burn. The slash is probably still green and may not burn well.

 

[omicron1792]

That’s good advice. I was leaning that direction, so I’ll treat “as needed.” I’m lucky to not have too many issues with invasives, a little lespedeza that I have already knocked back significantly and one small area of stiltgrass. I will wait to see how the seed bank responds then decide on seeding any natives.

What are your thoughts on fire timing? Harvest will be done soon. Do I wait a full calendar year before trying to burn to allow the seedbank a chance to get established? Or do I burn this winter to knock back a big chunk of the slash?

You’ll want to wait and burn after a year. You won’t have enough to burn early. I would do dormant season burns first couple of burns.

 

[omicron1792]

A nasty thicket is prime deer territory If that is what you want, good deer hunting.

Thick big woods is not good for deer bedding. I would consider burning after year one, then every 3-5 years just enough to keep it great deer bedding.

 

[omicron1792]

Fire lanes get cheap rye and clover in winter just to help with erosion. But nothing that will make you cry when you doze it for next burn.