Treeplanting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Treeplanting is an activity that belongs to a sector of the silviculture industry known as reforestation. It involves planting seedlings [1] over an area of land where the forest has been harvested, destroyed by fire or damaged by disease or insects, such as the spruce budworm. Treeplanting is carried out in many different parts of the world, and strategies may differ widely across nations, regions and individual reforestation companies. Treeplanting is grounded in forest science, and if performed properly can result in the successful regeneration of a deforested area. Reforestation is the commercial logging industry's answer to the large-scale destruction of old growth forests, but a planted forest never truly replicates the biodiversity and complexity of a natural forest.
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[edit] Treeplanting in Canada
Most treeplanting in Canada is carried out by private reforestation companies in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Northern Ontario and Quebec. Reforestation companies compete with one another for contracts from logging companies, whose annual allowable cut for the following year is based upon how much money they invest into reforestation and other silvicultural practices. Treeplanting is typically piece work and tree prices can vary widely depending on the difficulty of the terrain and on the winning contract's bid price. As a result, there is a saying among planters: "There is no bad land, only bad contracts."
Planting is carried out in accordance to the client's specifications, and planters are expected to learn the quality standards for each contract that they work on. Planted cutblocks are spot checked on a regular basis. Although quality concerns vary across contracts, spot checkers are typically looking for such things as: species appropriate site choice, species appropriate spacing, how tight the seedlings are in the ground, how straight the seedlings are, and whether or not the seedlings have been damaged.
The average BC planter plants 1 600 trees per day. These numbers are higher in central and eastern Canada, where the terrain is generally faster. Planters typically work 8-10 hours per day with an additional 1 to 2 hours of (usually) unpaid travelling time. Work weeks on British Columbian planting contracts are usually 4-5 days long, with 1-2 days off. In Ontario, work weeks are generally 5-6 days long, with 1 day off.
Treeplanting is seasonal labour and has become a popular form of employment for young Canadian adults, many of whom spend their summers planting trees in order to pay their university tuitions. In British Columbia, where the season is longer, treeplanting is considered to be more of a career or profession than short term summer employment. Although treeplanting is difficult both mentally and physically, hard workers can generally earn well above the average student income. However, the learning curve is quite steep, so many planters do not reap the economic benefits of their work until the second season.
Based on statistics for British Columbia, the average treeplanter: lifts a cumulative weight of over 1 000 kilograms, bends more than 200 times per hour, drives the shovel into the ground more than 200 times per hour and travels over 16 kilometres with a heavy load, every day of the entire season. Encounters with wildlife, including grouse, stinging insects, moose and even bears are frequent, but the greatest danger that treeplanters face is the risk of injury caused by the repetitive and jarring work. The reforestation industry has an average annual injury rate of approximately 22 claims per 100 workers.[2]
[edit] Treeplanting in Great Britain
Planting in Britain is commonly referred to as restocking, when it takes place on land that has recently been harvested. When occuring on previously unforested land it is known as new planting [3]. Under the British system, in order to acquire the necessary permissions to clear fell, the landowner must agree a management plan with the Forestry Commission (the regulatory body for all things forestry) which must include proposals for the re-establishment of tree cover on the land. Planting contractors will be engaged by the landowner / management company, a contract drawn up and work will typically take place from November to April when the transplants are dormant.
Planting is part of the rotational nature of much British plantation forestry. Productive tree crops are planted and subsequently clear felled. Some form of soil cultivation may take place and the ground is then restocked. Where the production of timber is a management priority, a prescribed stocking density must be achieved. For coniferous species this will be a minimum of 2500 stems per hectare at year 5 (from planting). Planting at this density has been shown to favour the development of straighter knot free logs.
Planters are normally paid under piece work terms and an experienced worker will plant around 1500 trees a day under most conditions.
[edit] Treeplanting Culture
In recent years there has been much talk of a distinctive treeplanting culture, the result of an isolated work environment that bares little similarity to the lives that planters live during the 'off season.' Scott Chisholm, creator of Tree-planter.com [4], has noted that, "tree planters thrive on adversity." The shared experience of long hours out in the elements, fighting through mud, slash [5] and clouds of black flies is what binds planters together. On average treeplanters are between the ages of 18 and 30, although there are also 'lifers' who have made treeplanting into a career. Treeplanters tend to view themselves as tough and aloof from the rest of society. They have a reputation for raucous drinking in small town bars.
