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Forest Thinning

**Because living in a forested area requires our responsibility to become active stewards of our lands**

Insects & Diseases

These factors are important elements of our forest ecosystem as they are part of the natural cycle of our forests. Because of our lack of forest disturbances we have created unnatural/dense forests and monoculture/even-aged stands of trees.

 

Mitigating for insect and disease outbreaks would include removing diseased trees and adding the chips back to the soil to recycle the nutrients as the organic material decomposes.

Mistletoe on Ponderosa Pine
Parasitic Mistletoe on Ponderosa Pine
Spruce Beetle kill in Colorado

Mountain Pine Beetle/Spruce Beetle

The Spruce, fir, and pine beetles are a natural part of our forest ecosystem. However, because of our think, dense and unhealthy forests, we have an unbalance that creates an epidemic in our trees. Therefore, we have a need to mitigate for these disturbances. Often the prescription will include thinning your trees, adding nutrients to the soil, spraying for the beetle, and planting to diversify your forest.

Wind Thrown Trees

Colorado's high winds is a form of 'disturbance ecology'.  This is another natural process in our forests and it is something we need to be aware of when homes are in the middle of the forested lands.  Terra Firma Forestry will consult you in the possibility and the needs to prevent damage if this event occurs.  

Diseased trees in Colorado

Unnatural & Dense Forests

During a site visit, Terra Firma Forestry will guide you thru a process to determine if your forests could use a thinning prescription.  We will be able to tell if the trees are competing for nutrients, sunlight, and water.  We will advise a mitigation plan for your forests if your trees are unhealthy due to being too dense, mono-culture of tree species, unbalanced age classes, or a number of other factors.  

Before and after photos of an Aspen grove thinning project in Leadville:

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