What happens to the stumps after the trees are harvested?
Once a plantation is harvested the owner has the option of re-establishing a new plantation or returning the site to agriculture. Generally re-establishment is the preferred option as the conversion back to agriculture is likely to be more expensive. Heartwood Plantations has established numerous second rotation sites in recent years. Depending on the soil and terrain, these sites can be cultivated with specialized equipment and trees replanted into new mounds created over the old stumps. In some soil types, the new seedlings are simply planted between the old stumps, which generally breakdown well before the new trees are due for harvesting.
