When marking trees for removal, take out the poorly formed, crooked, diseased and overtopped trees that would not produce sawtimber. An alternative is to let the logger select trees for removal. Periodic inspections insure that the thinning is conducted as intended. The best harvesting system for selection thinning should be compact and maneuverable. Labor intensive pulpwood operations, while acceptable especially for first thinnings, are becoming scarce in Georgia.
Combination Thinning Combination thinning combines the row and selection thinning methods.
Rows are removed to allow access to the interior of the stand where a selection thinning is conducted to remove the inferior quality trees. Removing every fifth or seventh row allows the equipment to enter the stand. The feller-buncher enters the stand from the cleared row, fells and accumulates the marked trees, and carries the bunch back to the row for skidding and processing. There is usually less damage with a combination thinning than with a selection thinning. The access corridors also provide openings for later thinning operations.