A snag in a healthy second-growth forest.
If one were to compare this image with those of the past couple of days, one could be led to an unfair comparison of the two forests. The site of this image is within the Arcata Community Forest, and those of the previous postings were taken of a commercially managed third-growth forest. The latter was harvested within the past few years, and this location within the community forest perhaps ten or so years back.
The community forest is harvested in a selective-cut manner whereas the commercial forest is harvested using clear-cut methods. The photo below is of an area of the community forest that was logged at about the same time as the commercial forest (see previous postings).
My primary reason for sharing these photographs is for their aesthetic values. I am not a botanist and certainly not an expert. I am however, an observer, and this is what I see.
An area of the Arcata Community Forest that was logged about four years ago.
These young redwoods and spruce are about twenty-five years old. This area is inside the logged area of about four years ago. I think that these are third-growth trees in an area that is predominantly second-growth. Immediately behind this spot a large (about 125 tree rings) second-growth was harvested about four years ago. The city exercises great care in their harvests as these photographs show.
I do understand that clear-cutting is more efficient in many aspects over selective-cutting, but as a lover of the land…
Thomas Bethune's Photographic Journal 