Clemson Extension Forestry and Wildlife

Stumpage Price Trends in South Carolina and Climate Smart Forestry

Pulpwood Stumpage Trends in Q1, 2024: South Carolina statewide average pine pulpwood prices were $8.12/ton, and the hardwood pulpwood prices were $9.21/ton in the 1st quarter of 2024. Compared to the pine and hardwood pulpwood prices in the previous quarter (4th of 2023), it is an increase of 7% and 17%, respectively. The change in […]

What’s Wrong With My Dogwood Tree?

Tree on the left has little to no leaves while the tree on the right is fully leafed out.

Dogwood trees (Cornus species) are one of South Carolina’s beautiful flowering tree species, blooming in early spring. Their white flowers can often be seen in the forest understory before most other trees have leafed out, and many people have them as a part of their landscape. But, sometimes, that dogwood in your yard might not […]

Basal Area: What It Means and How to Measure It

If you have had interactions with a forester before or read forestry-related articles, you probably have heard the term basal area mentioned at some point. For some reason, basal area has always seemed to be this mystical term that folks struggle with understanding what it is and why it’s important. In this article, we will […]

Forestry Herbicide Series- Herbicide Basics

a woman using a backpack sprayer to apply a foliar herbicide.

Herbicides are an invaluable tool in forest management for controlling undesirable vegetation. To use them safely and effectively, one must understand a few basic principles. This article is the first in a series of articles on herbicides for forestry applications. To start, we will look at the basic principles one must understand to utilize herbicides. […]

Stumpage Price Trends and Logging Industry in South Carolina

graph with red and blue lines showing the difference in prices in pine and hardwood pulpwood stumpage prices.

Pulpwood Stumpage Trends in Q4, 2023: South Carolina statewide average pine pulpwood prices were $7.59/ton, and the hardwood pulpwood prices were $7.84/ton in the 4th quarter. Compared to pine and hardwood pulpwood prices in the previous quarter (3rd), it is an increase of 7% and 24%, respectively. Pulpwood prices were doing relatively better at the beginning […]

Tree Issues: From Conks to Cavities to Decay

white mushrooms growing on the main stem of a tree

Winter is rapidly approaching and as the autumn leaves fall, we begin to get a better glimpse of tree trunks and branches. Now is a great time to assess your trees and plan your winter pruning projects or perhaps even tree removals. December through mid-March is the best time to prune trees in our area […]

The Story of the Longleaf Ecosystem

tall longleaf pine trees in rows with understory grasses.

The Longleaf PineAmong the Southern pines, longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) has several key characteristics that have allowed it to grow on some of the harshest sites in the southeastern United States. One is its fire tolerance. Fire is a critical component of the longleaf pine ecosystem, and longleaf evolved with understory species, like the bunchgrasses, […]

Personal Protective Equipment for Chainsaw Users

orange chaps laying on the ground

In the first part of this series on chainsaw safety, Patrick Hiesl talked about the safety features of modern chainsaws (https://blogs.clemson.edu/fnr/2023/09/05/the-safety-features-of-a-modern-chainsaw/). Now, we are telling you about the personal protective equipment available to protect you from most major injuries. For chainsaw users, Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, includes leg, foot, eye, hearing, face, and hand […]

Stumpage Price Trends and Forest Industry Hot-Spots in South Carolina

graph with blue line showing pine pulpwood price trending down to $8.89/ton and red line showing hardwood pulpwood price trending down to $8.54/ton

Pulpwood Stumpage Trends in Q2, 2023: In the second quarter of 2023, statewide pine pulpwood stumpage prices averaged $8.89/ton, while the average hardwood rates were $8.54/ton in South Carolina. It is a dramatic decline in pulpwood prices from the first quarter of 2022 when pine and hardwood pulpwood stumpages were above $14/ton. Graph of S.C. statewide […]

Conservation Burial: Turning Your Haunt into Hallowed Ground

wooded area with ferns and an engraved rock as a grave marker.

Land is a legacy, something you pass on to your children and your children’s children. Historically, when someone passed away, family members managed all of the affairs, including the care of the body. But somewhere along the way, we lost parlors in our homes, funeral parlors took over, and we were left with just the […]