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Carry out felling operations with ecological considerations in mind

Habitat Function Type of work
Forest
Soil system
Clear-cutting

Forest management should avoid, as far as possible, significant soil and land degradation. Any movement in the forest has an impact on the soil and the soil, and it is important to minimise this impact.

Description of the action

Carry out felling and pruning at the appropriate time and with the appropriate techniques, using techniques that cause as little damage as possible to the soil and the ground. Avoid creating deep gullies on the felling slope by using branches to reinforce the felling path in wet soils. It is often wiser to cut in the dry summer (e.g. June, July and August) on wet soils (e.g. angervax, blackberry-blackberry, blueberry-bog and hare-pea-bog habitat types) than to wait for a cold winter.

Why?

Deep reedbeds can lead to local soil salinisation and are not aesthetically pleasing. For harvesters and forwarders, it is not their weight that is important, but their specific pressure. The use of wider tyres and belts can reduce the specific pressure. However, if deep gullies are created during felling, they should be smoothed out after felling is completed.

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