This years final project was a crop tree thinning in extreme southwest IA. From certain vantage points on a clear day one can view the borders of Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas. Hickory Ridge Forestry was fortunate enough to finish this project before the first true snows and bitter northerly winds blew in.
This property has a great diversity of trees in need of thinning. HRF selectively thinned around the highest quality oak, black walnut, and shagbark hickory trees within two parcels on the property. HRF left most trees standing using the girdling technique to reduce the debris on the forest floor. Treated trees will die and slowly deteriorate from the top down over time.
Remaining crop trees will greatly benefit from the additional sunlight and reduced competition for water and nutrients. Our hope is the crop trees will grow more quickly and have more abundant mast production. We hope to check back on the site in the future and see the benefits this procedure provided to the woodlands and wildlife.
