Some care is necessary during the final harvest to minimize damage to the young, even-aged stand that is developing. Although suitable for most Ohio forest types, the shelterwood method is uncommon for several reasons. First, the short-term planning horizons and brief land tenure of many Ohio forest landowners does not lend itself to a harvesting method which extends over several years. However, with increasing public concern over widespread use of clearcutting, the shelterwood method may become more common in situations where it can successfully achieve landowner objectives. Table 2 summarizes some of the commonly cited advantages and disadvantages of the shelterwood cutting method.
Selection is used to create and maintain an uneven-aged stand.
Depending on the size of the opening, group selection areas may favor the successful reproduction of intermediate or shade-intolerant tree species. Aesthetically, selection has the least visual impact of any regeneration method. Periodically, a number of trees are selected for harvest approximately equal in volume to the growth of the stand since the last harvest. The openings created by the removal of individual trees or small groups are small and scattered throughout the forest. The overall integrity and appearance of the forest is only slightly modified, and after a few years much of the residue from the harvest will have decomposed.