How much cheaper is selective cutting?
I am going to answer the question I think you are trying to ask. Selective cutting is more expensive than clear cutting but can be more profitable in the long run with future harvests. When selective cutting they remove low value wood and sell it for chips, pellets or pulp. They also harvest the mature trees which have high value. This lets the remaining trees grow faster and breaks the canopy so new trees can get sunlight to grow. That makes the next harvest more valuable. Since there is already a skidder road that future harvest is less expensive. How much more expensive is the first selective harvest than a clear cut? There is no easy answer because every woodlot is different. The terrain can make everything easy or miserable. Don’t forget sometimes the foresters will find so little high value wood that it makes sense to clearcut and start over.
