First three images, unmanaged woodland, older trees predominate, crowded together. and many are diseased or dying, and leaning hard. Dense undergrowth dies in the deep shade making for impenetrable jungle and copious ladder fuels. Any attempt to thin here will be dangerous, with tangled canopy, heavy leaners, dead limbs, and no clear fall zones.
Fourth image the continuous canopy that will allow any fire to take the whole stand, taken across a clearing from a catastrophic fire maybe 40-50 years ago (trees are now starting to come back).
Images 5-8, adjacent area, many larger old trees removed, leaving healthy standards with discontinous canopy. Trees of mixed age, allowing continuous selection, and safe felling. Diverse species (cottonwood, juniper, NM privet, peach leaf willow, wild plum, and recently oak) contribute to fire resilience and fauna habitat. Felled stumps become coppice stools allowing continuous harvest of firewood, while always having a mixed healthy woodland. Larger standards will be removed as they become hazardous, or as younger trees replace them.
Image 8, brush piles as habitat (birds, reptiles, and small mammals), firewood harvest, and some big logs inoculated with mushroom spawn, open clearing of grass will allow a low intensity fire to go through with no major damage.
We get deer, elk, bobcat, coyote, beaver, mountain lion, and more visiting. Woodland for all!
