Nova Scotia's forest is one of its most valuable resources. As owners of nearly 70% of the province's productive woodland, private woodlot owners play a major role. Approximately 50% of this woodland is owned by about 33,000 small private woodlot owners.

Species
The province has 30 native tree species and about 15 introduced species. Each belongs to one of two major groups: needle-leafed softwoods (also known as conifers or evergreens) and broad-leafed hardwoods (also known as deciduous trees).

Products
Major products include pulpwood, sawlogs, stud wood, veneer logs, panel products, boltwood, posts and poles, pallet wood, firewood and fuelwood.

Silviculture
The practice of silviculture, by which stands of trees are tended, harvested and replaced, can improve growth rates, quality, strength and other properties as well as help maintain a healthy, productive and sustainable forest.

Key to the practice of good forest management is knowledge of:

Silviculture practices include:

• Selection
  • single tree
  • group
• Shelterwood
  • uniform method
  • strip method
  • seed tree method
• Thinning-
  • pre-commercial thinning (PCT)
  • commercial thinning (CT)
• Clearcutting with natural regeneration and artificial regeneration
  • alternate strips
  • progressive strips
  • patches
  • site preparation
  • planting
  • weeding

Professional advice and expertise regarding timber on your woodlot, management planning and marketing is available from Forestry Consultants, Contractors, Woodland Owner Organizations and Industry Groups located throughout the province.

Silviculture assistance is available throughout Nova Scotia from Registered Wood Buyers with Wood Acquisition Plans, and the Association for Sustainable Forestry.

Resources

NS Department of Natural Resources Library  
    902-424-8633

• Forestry Field Handbook   
  - Online
  NS Department of Natural Resources
• Trees of Nova Scotia
  - Gary L. Saunders
  1996 (revised), 102 pages. $9.95
  Descriptions of native and exotic species, their uses, pests and where they grow. Illustrated, metricated.
  Also available from local bookstores
• Selling Standing Timber
  - Online
  Info Leaflet DNR-3  
• Manuals
      Tree Planting
      Shelterwood Harvesting
      Merchantable Thinning – Softwoods
      Hardwood Thinning
• NS Forest Practices Folders
      #4 - Precommercial Thinning
      #5 - Commercial Thinning
      #6 - Harvest Cutting
      #7 - Planting Forest Trees
      #9 - Thinning Mixed Hardwoods
      #12 - Shelterwood Method
      #13 - Clearcut Method
      #14 - Selection Method
      #15 - Seed Tree Method
      #16 - Release Method 

A Handbook of Maritime Trees  
- Online      
by Geoffrey A. Ritchie
Natural Resources Canada     

Images of Tree Species   
- Online
Faculty of Forestry & Environmental 
  Management
University of New Brunswick

Contractors & Operators   
- Online
Best Management Practices Manual

NSDNR Woodlot Management Home Study Program
- Online or Mail 
Module 1 - Introduction to Silviculture
Module 2 – Harvesting Systems
Module 3 – Stand Spacing
Module 5 – Stand Establishment
Module 8 – Wood Utilzation & Technology