Dr.

Durgesh Kumar, Assistant Professor

Department of Soil conservation and Water management
Brahmanand P.G. College, Rath (Hamirpur)
Tending Operations in Silviculture:

For establishment of the regeneration and subsequent development of the forest crop up to
harvesting, several operations are carried out. These operations are carried out in the forest crop at
different stages of growth in order to provide a healthy environment for their development.

These operations are called tending operations includes:

i) Weeding
ii) Cleaning
iii) Thinning
iv) Pruning
v) Climber Cutting

Weeding:

Any unwanted plant that interferes or tends to interfere with the growth of the individuals of
favoured species’ is called a weed. Weeding is defined as ‘a tending operation done in the seedling
stage in the nursery or in a forest crop, that involves the removal or cutting back of all weeds.

Objectives of Weeding

 To protect the crops from suppression

 To reduce root competition for moisture and nutrients available in the soil
 To reduce transpirational water loss
 To improve light conditions
Weeds may be controlled by following methods:

a) Mechanical Methods
b) Biological Methods
c) Chemical Methods .
Cleaning:
Cleaning is carried out in a crop which has not crossed the sapling stage and is defined as the
cutting made in order to face the best individuals from undesirable one of the same age which interfere
or are likely to interfere with the growth of the desired individuals.

Methods of cleaning may be mechanical, biological and chemical as described under weeding.

 Tending operations done in sapling crop particularly just before or with the first thinning are involving
the removal or cutting back of all inferior growth, climbers, etc” including an excess of coppice shoots
and sapling if interfering with better one.

 Sometimes cleaning and the first thing is done simultaneously or sometimes separate.
 Dr. Durgesh Kumar, Assistant Professor
Department of Soil conservation and Water management
Brahmanand P.G. College, Rath (Hamirpur)
 Since the sapling branches shade up the ground then weaker type of seedlings may appear, they are
undesired and removable.

 Bela plantations of Shisham raised from root suckers and coppices demands cleaning. Here hundreds of
coppice shoots are reduced. Here some diseased shisham will also be removed.

Thinning-

Thinning is defined as a felling made in an immature stand for the purpose of improving the
growth and form of the trees that remain, without permanently breaking the canopy. Thinning principles
are so formulated that these are applicable only to pure even aged or relatively even, aged crop or even
aged groups of the trees in a crop.Thinning principles have been developed on the basis of natural
development of the stand. Thus, thinning, takes place naturally in a density stocked forest under the law
of Survival of the fittest.

Objectives of Tending Operation -Thinning

1) To Improve the Hygiene of the Crop:By removing dead, dying and diseased trees, hygiene or
health of tree can be maintained well.

2) Salvage of Anticipated Losses of the Merchantable Volume:A large number of trees die of
suppression. This amount contributes of about 20 per cent of the merchantable volume. Reduction in
number of trees in thinning increases the diameter of the remaining trees.

3) To assure the Best Physical Conditions of Growth:The objective of the thinning is to keep
growing stock somewhere within the range. The effect of extreme competition is reflecting by decline in
the rate of growth with increasing density in crops which are very dense. Thinning increase the diameter
of the crops. Thus thinning may be essential tool for shortening the rotation of a crop.

4) To Obtain Desired Crop:Thinning helps to improve the stand structure. It ensures a uniform and
proper distribution of trees all over the area. The composition of the crop can also be improved. The less
valuable species may be removed in thinning and the important and valuable species may be retained
for future.

5) Improvement of Stand Composition, Regeneration and Protection:If an undesirable species is

not eliminated during regeneration stage it can be done during thinning to a certain extent. Thinning
helps in obtaining suitable seed bearers for obtaining successful regeneration. The dead, drying and
diseased trees are removed to afford protection from insect pest, disease and fire because these trees
may serve as a source of infection.
 Dr. Durgesh Kumar, Assistant Professor
Department of Soil conservation and Water management
Brahmanand P.G. College, Rath (Hamirpur)
6) Improvement in Wood Quality:Thinning may also improve the quality of wood because trees with
higher diameter are likely to be of better quality than smaller ones.

7) To Increase Net Yield and Financial out turn from a Stand:Thinning help to obtain returns early.
The sale of thinning material helps to reduce investment burden because of early returns from thinning
and shortening of rotation.

8) To Help Decomposition of Raw Humus:In temperate forests, thinning increases light and
temperature on the forest floor and causes mechanical disturbance which help the decomposition of raw
humus and release of nutrients, etc.

Following Methods of Thinning can be Adopted:

1) Mechanical Thinning,
2) Ordinary Thinning,
3) Crown Thinning,
4) Free Thinning,
1) Mechanical Thinning:
This type of thinning is usually applied in young crops or young plantations before the crown
differentiation has taken place. In teak plantations of Kerala, first and second thinning carried out at the
age of 4 and 8 years are usually mechanical thinning and consists of the removal of alternate diagonal
lines or rows of trees reducing the stocking from 2,500 trees per ha to 1250 trees per ha after the first
mechanical thinning and then to 625 trees per hectare after second thinning with spacing 2 in x 2 in to
about 2.85 in x 2.85 in and then ultimately to 4 in x 4 in after second thinning.

2) Ordinary Thinning:

This is called as "Low Thinning". In ordinary thinning, the trees are removed from lower crown
classes. Ordinary thinning has been devised to follow the nature i.e. those trees, which have been
unsuccessful in the struggle of existence, are removed first. Ordinary thinning is the most commonly
used thinning practice in forestry. It is most for light demander species. This method of thinning is
useful and may be economically applied in species and areas where small size timber has a market.

The method is simple in execution. Removal of lower crown classes suitable for area where
there is no danger of soil deterioration. Forests infested with climbers and where there is risk of crown
fire. Ordinary thinning has several commands.

Grades of Ordinary Thinning:

i) Light Thinning (A Grade):This is limited to the removal of dead, dying, diseased and
suppressed trees.
 Dr. Durgesh Kumar, Assistant Professor
Department of Soil conservation and Water management
Brahmanand P.G. College, Rath (Hamirpur)
ii) Moderate Thinning (B Grade):This consists in the further removal of defective eliminated
stems and whips.

iii) Heavy Thinning (C Grade):This consists in the further removal of the remaining
dominated stems and such of the defective co-dominants as can be removed without making
lasting gaps in the canopy.

iv) Very Heavy Thinning (D Grade):The distinguishing features of this grade is that, it also
takes some of the dominate.

v) Extremely Heavy Thinning (E Grade):This is the heaviest thinning that can do in a crop
without making permanent gaps in the canopy. More of the dominant stems even of class (a)
are removed.

3) Crown Thinning:The less promising one being removed in the interest of the best individuals; the
dominated and suppressed stems are retained unless they are dead, drying or diseased.

Advantages of Crown Thinning:

Crown thinning offers several advantages over other methods of thinning:

i) Crown thinning provides better environment for growth and development of retained
dominant trees.
ii) The trees of lower crown classes are not removed.
iii) The pressure of trees of lower crown classes results better pruning of side branches.
iv) It helps in protection of the site and reduces the damages due to frost, snow, wind etc.
Disadvantages of Crown
The main disadvantages of crown thinning are

i) There is higher root competition for moisture and nutrients.

ii) Abstraction in felling, logging and extraction of tinned material.
iii) Crown thinning is more flexible method than ordinary thinning. It requires greater skill in execution.
iv) Closer look on suppressed and dominated trees would be necessary.
CLIMBER CUTTING:
 Climber cutting should be done along with the tending operations as well as while carrying out
markings for felling in the forest. Climbers are particularly harmful when the trees are young. In
older trees, they constrict the stem and deteriorate the value of wood.
 The climber cutting should be done at the base and one meter above and the piece should be
removed in order to ensure that climber has been cut. A more effective method for the control of
climber is to dig up tubers during the rains. The climbers should be cut preferably during
monsoon.
 Dr. Durgesh Kumar, Assistant Professor
Department of Soil conservation and Water management
Brahmanand P.G. College, Rath (Hamirpur)
 A plant that attaches itself to other plants or objects such as posts and walls as it grows is a
Climber.

 This difficulty is faced in nurseries usually seedlings are twined by climbers. Afterwards, the
internode increases in length. The climber pulls the head of the seedling. Since this host climber
can’t be extended, shoot of the seedling is broken.

 Sometimes it completely girdles the shoots and plants die of suffocation. The climber may ravel
itself around the crown, so the victim is devoid of light and food.

 Their removal is necessary.

PRUNING:

It is a kind of management of crops at younger and/or older stage in which branches live or dead
are removed for further improvement of crops to produce knot-free timber. It is the removal of branches
from the trees.

Objectives of Pruning

 To get clear, knot-free high-grade timber

 To meet the demand for fuelwood and fodder
 To get access for inspection and reduce the chance of fire hazard
Kinds of Pruning
On the basis of the kind of branches, pruning is classified into:
 Dry pruning, i.e., pruning of dead branches

 Green pruning, i.e., pruning of living branches

On the basis of the agency of pruning, it is classified into:

Natural pruning: The natural death and fall of branches of standing trees from such causes as
deficiency of light, decay, snow and ice. It is also known as self-pruning. Teak, most Eucalyptus species
and Kadam are good natural pruners.

Artificial pruning: The pruning done by forester without waiting for nature to do it in dense natural
crops or where nature can not do it due to artificially large spacing between stems in man-made
plantations to reduce the cost of formation and rotation. It is a costly operation. So, artificial pruning is
carried out considering the funds or outcomes