Cooperman .... what does show up is that when a plantation goes in then pretty soon all trees aren't equal .... they create their own environment .... the trees on the outside grow from saplings being buffeted by winds and getting uninterupted light ... they grow stouter with big root system and full, heavily branched,trunks .... those inside are sheltered by them and soon get their light only from above .... they grow straight, more slender and with pretty much only the roots they need to feed ... no formed side branches and a tuft of branches at the top where the light is .... they make good straight timber with few knots.
You can see from the pic, where the 'guard' trees have gone down the inner trees have fallen like dominoes pushing corridors deep into the blocks of trees .... the challenge will be to shape what's left to minimise the stress on those now-exposed inner trees while they toughen up. .... it will be windy days that challenge the trees that will push them into more root growth ... the killer would be another 'once in 70 year' storm that comes along before they've grown into their new situation.
K
