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Weeding refers to the trimming or removal of small, herbaceous plants in a stand, as well as non-crop tree species, which are competing with desirable tree species. Plants like raspberry bushes can out-compete seedlings and limit their access to nutrients, sunlight, and other necessary factors for growth.

Tree removal generally refers to the removal of a single tree or very small group of trees, often in an urban setting, that is/are causing safety concerns or is/are diseased, dying, or dead. Tree removal is a service offered by arborists.

Tree marking is a useful and cost-effective tool for stand improvement. Trees can be marked using paint or flagging tape, and can either be marked to be cut or not to be cut. Often, contractors will mark crop trees to be harvested in a selection management treatment to avoid damage to other trees. Another method is to mark trees that should not be cut or damaged during that treatment, like dead trees left for wildlife, new regeneration, or younger trees that could be left to increase their value until the next harvest. Proper usage of this tool can help to reverse negative effects from past intensive or damaging treatments (like high-grading and indiscriminate cutting).

Silvicultural contractors provide a variety of woodlot management services, not just harvesting. These can include selection harvesting, thinning, road building, wildlife management, management planning, boundary line work, and many others.

In stands where good seed trees are relatively far apart, it can be useful to collect seeds and grow your own seedlings. Some foresters provide this service and can also advise woodlot owners on how to go about collecting and germinating their own seeds.

Pruning is a minimally invasive method of improving the quality of crop trees in a stand. Lower limbs are removed manually from selected trees to decrease problematic knots in the lumber and make them easier to harvest later on.

Precommercial thinning (PCT) is done in overstocked stands of younger trees to free up space and resources for selected trees and improve overall stand quality. PCT treatments are done in both natural stands and plantations. The goal is to remove less desirable trees (like non-crop species, or damaged and diseased trees) as well as create appropriate spacing in the stand for healthy, higher quality trees to grow. PCT work is generally done manually with clearing or thinning saws.

In stands where natural regeneration is lacking, it is often advantageous to plant seedlings. This can be done after both even-aged management treatments (like clearcutting) and uneven-aged management treatments (like selective cutting). Desirable species are planted at specified intervals to fill in the gaps in forest vegetation and provide a continuous forest cover. Both softwood and hardwood species can be planted.

Characterized by removing the forest cover from an area where a land use change is desired by the owner, such as conversion to agricultural, commercial, or residential land. This can include removal of all forest vegetation, stumps, debris, and sometimes top soil.

In forest stands primarily made up of hardwood species, many owners/operators manage for harvesting firewood commercially or for private use.

The term pesticide covers a wide range of substances used for controlling, discouraging or destroying problem pest populations. These include insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Forest contractors are sometimes hired to apply these chemicals to stands in order to limit the growth of or kill undesirable flora or fauna. In many areas, approval is required by the provincial Activities Designation Regulations under the Environment Act before any pesticides can be applied.

A commercial harvest is completed with the goal of harvesting and selling the final timber product (saw logs, etc.). It is the final stage in commercial forest management, taking place several years after precommercial thinning and commercial thinning treatments.

This treatment is used to promote the growth of desirable crop trees. The trees around selected crop trees are thinned out to allow the more desirable trees more space and nutrients, which in turn can increase the health and future value of the stand.

Ideal for middle-aged stands, commercial thinning removes some of the more mature trees to allow room for others to grow, and to open up the canopy for regeneration. The trees removed are often those that are: damaged or diseased; growing too close to desirable trees; or less desirable species.

Chipping is a method of removing brush and branches from a stand after some types of treatment. Branches and small trees are fed into a chipper, which shreds them into small chips. These chips can be left in the woodlot as nutrients or removed and used for other purposes like home heating or livestock bedding.

Knowing where your boundaries are is an important step in woodlot management. Contractors will often mark woodlot boundaries by using flagging tape or painting blazes on trees along the boundary lines and removing brush from the lines to promote line visibility.

Arborists or arboriculturists are urban tree maintenance and care professionals. They focus on managing and cultivating individual trees and shrubs in an urban setting to promote the health and safety of the plants and public. Services often provided by an arborist include: pruning, planting, removal, and emergency tree care.