video of thinning a school forest in Southern Kettle Moraine

Out hiking around and stopped to watch some forestry in action.

butthead

so, that's cool do they just leave the branches on the forest floor to decompose?

It's a school forest among a bunch planted in the 1960's. Thinning is a yearly occurrence, and larger wood harvests also done in a similar way but a longer time frame. Yes the branches and small saplings are cut and dropped in the access rows to decompose. It does not take many years. I have made regular visits since the late 70's and it always is interesting. Especially the changes in machinery used.
5 years ago some major harvesting was done with Ponsse equipment.

butthead