What type of harvest involves a mix of tree sizes and ages?

Selection cutting is a forestry practice that focuses on maintaining a diverse forest structure by selectively removing certain trees while leaving others standing. This method results in a mix of tree sizes and ages within the forest. By allowing for both larger, mature trees and smaller, younger ones to coexist, selection cutting promotes biodiversity and creates a more varied habitat for wildlife.

Additionally, this approach helps to maintain forest health and regeneration, as it mimics natural disturbances that would typically occur in a forest ecosystem. Over time, the remaining trees can continue to grow, and new seedlings can be established, ensuring that the forest remains sustainable and productive.

In contrast, clear cutting involves removing all trees in an area at once, which leads to a uniform age structure and can disrupt the ecosystem. Shelterwood cutting aims to establish regeneration under the shelter of older trees, which still does not produce the same age diversity as selection cutting. Age-based harvesting is not a formal term recognized in forestry practices, making selection cutting the most accurate choice.