Thinning of trees rather than allowing the self-thinning rule of ecology to do what nature does best increases the health or maintains the health of the forest. Removing dead trees increases the health or maintains the health of the forest. Planting hardwoods in conifer soils , or vice versa, increases or maintains the health of the forest. Chipping mills increase or maintain the health of the forest. Cutting trees reduces mud slides and increases the health of the forest.
Insects are the primary cause of forest health decline.
Salvage logging decreases morbidity and mortality of the forest trees. Timbering practices reduces forest fires . Drought has caused forest decline. And if there is any proper research to back any of that up I want to be the first to know about it. However , many reviewed papers and work by some of the worlds finest tree biologists and forest pathologists strongly suggest the decline in forest health is due to present commercial extract practices and it is getting worst and they are hitting the forest harder.