Stem Form and Lumber Yield: Long-Term Effects of Thinning and Pruning

Abstract Though stem form and taper greatly affect the amount of recoverable lumber in a tree, little work has been conducted on the long-term effects of thinning and pruning on stem form and lumber yield. The work described suggests that long after treatment neither stem form nor the bf/ft3 conversion ratio is affected by thinning and/or pruning. It is apparent that all of the merchantable volume increase induced by thinning will be recovered in the sawn lumber, but pruning does not appear to be a viable method for producing more cylindrical logs and increasing the conversion ratio. North. J. Appl. For. 5:56-58, March 1988.