Forestry Extension

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Management

Current Situation

Mississippi has about 18.5 million acres of forestland, which amounts to about 62 percent of the state's land area. Almost 70 percent of this forestland is owned by private, nonindustrial landowners, with more than 150,000 people owning 20 acres or more of forestland. Each landowner may have a different set of forest management objectives, so management decisions should be tailored to the needs of the landowner as well as the objectives and capability of the land.

Mississippi has highly productive forests because of good soils, a long growing season, and abundant rainfall. These highly productive forests, combined with recent increases in timber prices and a high percentage of private ownership, result in forestland ownership being a significant family asset. Mississippi's forests are funding children's college education, providing for people in their old age, and enabling a lifestyle many would not have had otherwise.

A key to successful forest management is a written management plan in which landowners define their management objectives, inventory their current forest resources, and plan activities to accomplish objectives consistent with existing resources. The management plan, once developed, should be followed unless conditions warrant changes. Thus, a management plan is a "living" document that landowners are constantly developing, implementing, reviewing, and revising with appropriate professional advice.

Forest management in Mississippi is complex due to diverse forest types, different ownership objectives, tract histories, and other factors. Forest Management includes the following:

  • Pine Management
    Including Thinning, Prescribed Burning, Fertilization, and Growth and Yield

    • Thinning Young Pine Plantations

    Thinning of young pine plantations is the single most important management activity a forest landowner can do to his plantation. The goal of thinning is not to maximize current income from low value pulpwood, but rather to prepare it for producing higher value sawlogs in the future. Thinning must be done at the proper time and in the proper way in order to maximize both future value and health of the plantation. Below are some links from Mississippi State University and N.C. State University concerning pine thinning. If you have more questions, feel free to contact Dr. Andy Londo, Extension Silviculture Specialist.

    Additional Information

    Fertilization

    Forest fertilization is a relatively easy way for landowners to boost productivity of their forestland. However, not all land needs to be fertilized. Determining if you need to fertilize, when and how much to use are important questions which need to be answered before fertilizing your forestland.

    For more information, you can click on the following link. This link will take you to the Bugwood website at the University of Georgia.

  • Hardwood Management
  • Wildlife Habitat Management
  • Regeneration
    Including Natural and Artificial (Seeding and Tree planting)
  • Site Preparation
  • Herbicides
  • Forest Management Plans
  • Best Management Practices

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