 Bottomland
Hardwood Timber Management
Canebreak
Management
Upland
Pike Management
Upland
Mixed Pine/Hardwood Management
Cypress/Tupelo
Management
Bottomland Hardwood Timber Management
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I. Management Considerations
 Large tracts of naturally-occurring mature bottomland
hardwood forest, composed of a mix of tree species, will
provide for black bear needs without intensive management.
For example, natural disturbance in the form of tree falls
and wind storms typically provide sufficient forest openings
needed for forage production and cover. The first choice for
naturally occurring bottomland hardwood stands is to leave
these stands unmanaged. However, if habitat conditions are
inappropriate or if a landowner’s objective is to harvest
timber products from the land for income, the following
recommendations should be considered.
It is important to maintain a diverse bottomland
hardwood forest of maximum growing vigor. From a bear
habitat standpoint, a productive forest stimulates yield
from hard mast (e.g., oak, pecan, hickory) and soft mast
(e.g., blackgum, wild grape, blackberry) producing trees and
vegetation that maintains a diversity of animal foods. Black
bears depend largely on fall and early winter mast crops to
provide enough fat reserves to survive winter dormancy.
Management of a timber stand for oaks and other hard mast
producing species is good for production of high quality
hardwood timber and optimum black bear foraging habitat.
Maximizing tree vigor and hard mast production will benefit
bears as well as all other wildlife species that depend on
this carbohydrate-rich food source. Maintaining a diversity
of age classes, stand types, and vegetative composition
within the forest will provide excellent habitat conditions
for black bears. Rotation length for crop trees should be a
minimum of 50 years, with 70-100 years preferred for hard
mast production.
 Intermediate cuts (or stand thinnings) should be designed to
improve species composition, remove individual trees of poor
quality or vigor, promote regeneration of desirable timber
species, encourage food production and create escape and
nesting cover for bears and a variety of other wildlife
species. Stand thinnings should be made when it is
economically and silviculturally feasible, preferably with 5
to 15 year intervals. Although regular thinnings are
compatible with maintenance of suitable black bear habitat,
cuts should carefully consider protection of existing and
potential den trees (see III. Special Considerations).
Mid-story timber stand improvement (TSI) can be accomplished
in such a manner as to remove less desirable non-commercial
species (e.g., American hornbeam, box elder, eastern hop
hornbeam) while encouraging those desirable to bears (e.g.,
mulberry, swamp dogwood, spicebush). Diameter-limit harvest
(or high-grading) should be avoided as this may lead to a
change in stand composition detrimental to bear habitat and
timber stand quality over a long rotation period. When
feasible, logging slash and tops should be left for bedding
areas and for foraging sites for insects, invertebrates,
amphibians, reptiles and small mammals. Deadfall trees
should also be left undisturbed for foraging sites for
insects.
II. Regeneration/Management
Natural regeneration of key species such as hard mast
producers can be achieved through planned silvicultural
management operations. Natural regeneration through group
selection or small patch removals will enhance regeneration
of shade intolerant species such as oaks. Early successional
food plants (e.g., dewberry, blackberry, elderberry,
pokeberry) also benefit from these harvest practices that
allow sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor. In
intensive short rotation hardwood plantations, use coppice
(or stump sprout) regeneration when feasible to regenerate
within one year of harvesting. Where feasible, land managers
can intercrop with grains (soybeans, wheat) for at least the
first year.
III. Special Considerations
Forest management practices in natural stands should
incorporate guidelines to insure that several trees 30” dbh
or greater are present on each tract or management unit.
This will insure large trees are available for avenues of
escape and security for mother and cubs and provide for
future den trees in the stand. Females with cubs typically
select the base of the largest tree in the vicinity for
their daybed site. Leaving a few clumps of large standing
trees in each compartment will increase use of these areas
by mother bears.
Key Bottomland Hardwood
Plant Species
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Canebreak Management
I. Management Considerations
Canebreaks historically were associated with Louisiana
black bear habitat. Extensive stands of switchcane provide
habitat diversity, cover, and a seasonal food supply for
many wildlife species, including deer, rabbits, and black
bears. Less abundant than in the past, switchcane habitat
should be favored in hardwood forest stands when managing
for the Louisiana black bear.
II. Regeneration/Management
On selected areas where lack of cover is deemed to be a
limiting factor, natural regeneration of existing stands of
cane should be encouraged to expand through the removal of
overstory trees and clearing of competing vegetation. On
suitable sites, especially abandoned agricultural fields,
public transportation and utility rights-of-way,
opportunities exist for artificial regeneration of
switchcane. If seed is available, direct seeding is the
favored method of propagation. Another effective method of
artificial regeneration, although potentially labor
intensive, involves rhizome transplanting with and without
attached culms.
III. Special considerations
Switchcane life history traits, including its periodic
seeding events and its susceptibility to decline from
frequent prescribed burns, intensive cattle grazing, and
agricultural clearing, justify special management procedures
for expansion of this habitat type. Areas with existing
stands of switchcane deserve protective measures to conserve
this valuable component of quality black bear habitat.
Several hardwood seedling nurseries in Louisiana are
attempting to grow switchcane for use in habitat restoration
efforts.
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Upland Pine
Management
I. Management Considerations
When upland areas are managed intensively for pine
production, managers typically use an even-aged management
strategy for regeneration of pine stands. Even-aged
silvicultural activities include two basic methods: 1)
leaving seed trees for natural regeneration, and 2) harvest
cuts with some form of site preparation for artificial
regeneration through seedling planting.
II. Regeneration/Management
To create high quality bear habitat, harvest should
maximize forest age and type diversity. Harvest shape should
maximize edge habitat by using irregularly shaped cuts where
feasible based on site topography. To create maximum
between-stand diversity, there should be at least 7 years
difference in age classes between adjacent regeneration
areas. High between-stand diversity will help ensure a
constant supply of soft mast within a relatively small area.
Even-aged pine stands should be thinned as soon as
economically feasible (typically by 15 years). This practice
will produce a more vigorous pine stand as well as allow
sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor and encourage soft
mast production and growth of vigorous herbaceous
vegetation.
III. Special Considerations
Fire in the upland pine ecosystem is a natural occurrence.
Burning in pine stands should be conducted on a 3 to 5 year
rotation depending on site condition. If adult female bears
are known to be in the area, use caution when burning in
winter during the first 5 years after initial harvest.
Burning during this time period may disturb bears denning in
this thick, early successional cover. Poor soils and dry
sites should be burned less often. Planted pine stands
should be burned as soon as practical (7 to 10 years after
establishment) and after intermediate thinnings. Contact
your state forestry agency about timing of burns, the
possibility for technical or financial assistance, and
liability issues surrounding this practice. Hardwood areas
and Streamside Management Zones (SMZs) should always be
protected from fire.
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Upland
Mixed Pine-Hardwood Management
I. Management Considerations
Upland sites where stands of timber are comprised of a
mixture of pine and hardwood tend to be managed differently
than pure pine stands. Several different types of hardwood
trees (oak, cherry, hickory, sweetgum, beech) can be found
intermixed with pine. The age classes of the trees may be
the same or vary, depending on when previous cuttings took
place and what was harvested. These stands can provide good
habitat for black bears and still meet the landowner’s
objectives.
The biggest challenge in maintaining a mixed
pine-hardwood site is managing the lower story of trees. The
hardwood component of the stand is often made up of
primarily shade tolerant trees that will respond to sunlight
once the overstory is removed. However, pine seedlings that
are released from the older, mature trees will usually grow
faster than the hardwoods and will be the dominant species
for several years. Since acorns and other hard mast provide
bears with an important source of food in the fall, forest
management activities should favor oaks or other hard mast
species as the stand develops.
II. Regeneration/Management
The removal of the overstory, and the timing of this
operation, will determine which species of trees will become
dominant as time passes. Harvesting of trees should result
in openings large enough that soft mast will be produced and
utilized by bears. Normally, groups of trees or “patches” of
the overstory are removed, which produce the openings that
are needed for soft mast food species (e.g., dewberry,
pokeberry, blackberry, French mulberry) to have sufficient
sunlight to grow. After a few years, these openings will
become impenetrable thickets with many hardwood sprouts and
pine seedlings growing vigorously. Although availability of
natural foods declines over time as openings mature, bears
will utilize those sites as denning areas because of the
thick cover provided. Also, rotting logs, stumps, and
logging slash from the harvest operation will provide good
sources of grubs, insects and beetles.
III. Special Considerations
If large openings are made at the time of harvest, the
landowner should consider leaving some groups of large trees
scattered across the tract for females with cubs to use as a
means of escape. Also, trees with cavities should be
maintained for den sites.
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Cypress
Tupelo Management
I. Management Considerations
Management of cypress and tupelo stands is integral to
the restoration of the Louisiana black bear. These stands
are generally found in close proximity to bodies of water.
Bears use this habitat type primarily for escape cover and
denning sites. When the FWS formally listed the Louisiana
black bear as threatened, cypress and tupelo were afforded
special protection due to the importance of those trees as
bear denning sites. All cypress and tupelo adjacent to water
that are 36 inches dbh (diameter at breast height) or
larger, with visible signs of defects (i.e. cavities, broken
tops), must be protected.
II. Regeneration/Management
Management of cypress and tupelo stands is similar with a
few minor differences. Regeneration is generally from stump
sprouts of trees up to 14” dbh if sufficient sunlight is
available. Usually tupelo sprouts at higher rates than
cypress, so care must be taken to prevent harvested stands
from becoming dominated by tupelo. Because a large amount of
sunlight is needed to stimulate stump sprouting and sprout
survival, harvesting these stands is the preferred method of
regeneration.
Regeneration from seed is usually more complex. Both species
produce adequate to excellent seed crops yearly, with
abundant crops every 3-5 years. Tupelo is the most
consistent and prolific of the two species. Cypress needs
exposed wet soil for germination and continued moisture for
about 2-3 years for seedlings to become established.
Flooding is a constant threat to first year seedlings.
Seedlings from either species will experience early
mortality if they are submerged for any length of time
during the first growing season. Once established, growth is
vigorous during the early years. Depending upon site
quality, marketability for mulch is usually reached within
20 years and timber production within 80 years.
III. Special Considerations
Vigorous growth in dense stands causes pruning to occur
early on, producing good quality bole development. Thinning
should begin by age 20 if markets are available. Thinning to
70 to 80 trees per acre will maintain high rates of growth
and bole quality. Subsequent thinnings should be conducted
at 10 year intervals to remove poor quality stems.
Natural stands where little information is known
concerning age and growth can be maintained at higher stand
densities than artificially regenerated stands. Natural
stands may be maintained with few or no harvests until the
trees reach targeted size. For periodic income from these
natural stands and to shorten the time to reach a desired
diameter, selective harvests may be done, removing the
poorer quality trees and maintaining a density of 70-100
trees per acre.
Retention of small isolated groups and individual trees
of cypress or tupelo within other stands of bottomland
hardwoods can benefit bears. When harvesting for
regeneration purposes, consideration should be given to
these isolated stands or individuals to promote regeneration
and provide escape for bears. In areas where water is
present much of the year (e.g., Lower Atchafalaya), careful
consideration should be taken when the decision to harvest
is made. Removal of all trees in permanently flooded areas
will almost inevitably lead to conversion of forested
wetlands to open water because regeneration is hindered by
the constant presence of water.
When managing stands of tupelo and cypress in occupied bear
habitat, trees with visible cavities or defects in the top
or bole should be excluded from the harvest and protected
from logging damage. Bears will select these trees for
denning sites and escape cover.
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