The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) says it will be thinning 40 acres of coniferous plantations this week at Pittock Conservation Area.

The thinning of white pine and white spruce plantations is to promote biodiversity, officials say.

 "We are selectively cutting trees so that more sunlight reaches the forest floor and encourages seeds from hardwood trees to germinate and grow," says Jay Ebel, an UTRCA forestry technician.

The thinning will occur on the south shore of Pittock Reservoir, on the northwest corner of Oxford Road 4 and Lansdowne Avenue.

These plantations were previously thinned in 2006.

All revenue from the sale of the logs will be used to pay for the thinning.

UTRCA says the benefits of thinning tree plantations include:

  • Increasing diversity of tree and shrub species
  • Improving tree spacing
  • Increasing diversity of groundcover
  • Reducing susceptibility to diseases and insects
  • Promoting biodiversity and forest health