Requirements for Intensive Silviculture

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Abstract
The fundamentals of intensive silviculture in South Africa are not a recent development but were already indicated at the beginning of this century. The greater emphasis placed on its application today is due to the increased demand for timber and the limited availability of suitable areas for afforestation. As a result more and more land is being afforested where tree-growing conditions are limited and require a greater silvicultural input in order to achieve acceptable production levels. In addition it has been shown that intensive methods are profitable and become more important on marginal sites where a potential loss situation can be turned into a profitable one. This paper describes the basic requirements for intensive silviculture such as an understanding of the limitations set by soil, climate and landscape, and the demands made by the various tree species. The South African silvicultural expertise in respect of site preparation, fertilising, weed control, thinning and coppice management for hardwoods has been developed further in other countries and further local research is urgently required. It has been shown that this does not apply only to hardwoods but to pine species also. The proper implementation of intensive silviculture in South Africa is greatly hampered by inadequate education and training, making it difficult for management to grasp the basic concepts, and by lack of job competition at all levels.

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