Clemson Extension Forestry and Wildlife

The Safety Features of a Modern Chainsaw

Chainsaw with arrows and labels pointing to the safety features.

Now that the outside temperatures are cooling down, it is a great time to start working on cutting some firewood for next year or cleaning up some of those trees that the summer storms knocked over. Many of you have probably used chainsaws for years or decades and are well-versed in the use of them. […]

Grand Natural Treasure

green tree growing in rocky soil

The common theme for most of my written works have involved some aspect of forestry associated with the southeastern wood “basket”. I was inspired on my recent family vacation to visit several National parks (Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Arches, Canyonland, Bryce Canyon, Coastal Reef, and Zion) across northern Arizona and southern Utah. In my opinion, […]

How Your Forests Protect South Carolina Water

trees growing in a swamp

South Carolina is a diverse state, and the well-known slogan “from the mountains to the sea” reflects how varied the landscape is across the state’s 20 million acres. One feature that is common across all these landscapes is water. South Carolina has 36 rivers totaling almost 30,000 miles of waterways that can be found in […]

Understanding Your Soil Test Report

Bag of All Purpose Fertilizer 10-10-10

In Extension, we often get calls about why someone’s food plot is not growing as expected. While there can be a host of reasons why this is the case, the first thing one should examine is the soil pH and soil fertility. If the soil pH is not at the correct level, nutrients can be bound […]

Tractors and Implements for Forest Landowners – Part 4 Vegetative Management

Image of a rotary cutter. Photo credit: Stephen Pohlman, Clemson University.

Our series’ first, second, and third articles covered tractor selection, ground contact implements, and property maintenance (see links at the bottom of the article). The fourth part will cover two primary vegetative management implements that the forest landowner should consider adding to their arsenal. The first implement for consideration is a rotary cutter, commonly referred […]

Pine Stand Thinning

Three-year-old planted lobolly pine exhibiting apical dominance.

Forest management practices are recommended for various reasons to meet landowner management objectives, including generating income, improving habitat for wildlife species, and, most importantly, maintaining a healthy, productive forest.  Properly timed thinnings in natural and planted pine stands will provide all these benefits. Thinnings are “intermediate cuttings that are aimed primarily at controlling the growth […]

Firewise Community Program Heats Up in South Carolina

Being firewise can help save your property. Georgia Forestry Commission , Georgia Forestry Commission, Bugwood.org

Fires have been a historical feature of the landscape in South Carolina. Our state averages 3,000 wildfires a year. Although news headlines tend to focus on wildfires threatening homes in the western US, the wildland-urban interface, or the area where homes and wildland meet, is not just a western issue. In 2009, South Carolina lost […]

Benefits of Prescribed Fire for Pest Control

Brown spot needle blight looks like yellow spots surrounded by brown rings on pine needles. This fungus causes pines, usually longleaf, to drop needles. Burning your longleaf stand can help eliminate the fungus. Photo credit: Dave Coyle, Clemson Extension.

Prescribed fire is a commonly used management tool in both pine and hardwood forests in South Carolina. When used correctly, it has many benefits to forest ecosystems. Fire helps reduce fuels on the forest floor, which can help lower the chances of a wildfire. It helps recycle nutrients, making them more available to the growing […]

Tractors and Implements for Forest Landowners – Part 2: Ground Contact Implements

Photo credit: Stephen Pohlman.

In the first part of our series, we covered tractors for forest landowners and discussed specific options and specifications before making a purchase ( https://blogs.clemson.edu/fnr/2021/10/21/tractors-for-forest-landowners/ ). In part 2, we will cover many of the common ground contact implements that forest landowners should have and some of the intended uses of such an implement. Some of […]