2025-05-14 Silviculture training "Thinning"

First, as shown in the first and second pictures, we measured the tree height and diameter at breast height (thickness)! We observed each tree to see if it was growing slowly, if it had become thin due to pressure, if the trunk was very bent or forked, etc., and classified it into "tree type class". Based on the results, we decided which trees to thin out and which to leave.

Once we selected the tree, it was time to cut it down! In the third photo, a technical staff member showed us how to cut down the tree. In the practical training, we used a large saw and an axe. It was a big 60-year-old tree, so it was very impressive when it felled!

The fourth photo shows the cutting of the tree in the direction we want it to fall. We make a horizontal cut with a sledgehammer, then cut with the axe at a 45-degree angle above to create a wedge-shaped groove. Once the cut is complete, we use the sledgehammer to make a "follow-up cut" from the other side of the cut. We aim to cut a few centimetres above the bottom of the cut. As the sledgehammer approaches the cut, the weight of the saw causes the tree to tilt, and the cut acts like a hinge, causing the tree to fall. In the fifth photo, Hakken is standing on the cut of the stump, and Kouken is standing on the follow-up cut!