Strip Harvest
Source: PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), pp. 23–24
What it is
Strip harvest removes at least 85% of the trees in strips 0.3 to 2 tree heights wide, in pole-stage or older stands, over several passes. It is used to:
- change the stand’s vertical structure,
- open space where planted seedlings survive and grow well,
- create micro-habitat for natural regeneration.
The strips’ orientation controls how much sunlight reaches the stand, so it can steer regeneration toward species with a given shade tolerance.
Eligibility
- Over 75% of the stand has reached pole stage or beyond.
- The stand is well rooted and windfirm, with little existing windthrow.
- If the rest of the stand will be cut in a second pass:
- the remaining trees need an average live crown of at least 30%;
- for natural regeneration, the second pass normally comes at least 5 years later, and only once the cut strips are adequately stocked with planted or natural regeneration.
- If the aim is to remove the overstory while protecting advanced regeneration:
- the 30% overstory live-crown test does not apply;
- any overstory trees kept should still be chosen for health, biodiversity and windfirmness;
- the advanced regeneration must be healthy and well formed, with more than 50% live crown, and more than 1,800 stems/ha of a desirable crop species, evenly distributed.
Standards and assessment
| Measure | Standard |
|---|---|
| Prescription | Every strip pass is prescribed in the management plan |
| Harvest strip width | Normally 0.3–2 × the average stand height |
| Retention (leave) strip width | Normally 2–5 × the harvest strip width, depending on objectives, species, age and stand health |
| Orientation | For regeneration from seed, run harvest strips at right angles to the seed-dispersing winds. Slope, erosion and existing access may also shape orientation. |
| Scarification | Where desirable regeneration is missing, use extraction methods that scarify the ground, spread evenly through the strip |
| Slash | Spread through the harvested area unless the plan prescribes another treatment |
| Damage limit | No more than 5% of crop trees damaged; damage means broken limbs and/or bark damage exposing more than 10 cm² of sapwood on a tree |
Worked example
In a stand averaging 15 m tall:
- Harvest strips: 4.5 m to 30 m wide (0.3 × 15 to 2 × 15).
- Leave strips next to a 10 m harvest strip: 20 m to 50 m wide (2 × 10 to 5 × 10).
Based on the PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), pp. 23–24. Where this guide and the manual differ, the manual governs.