Evaluating Hack & Squirt Methods for the Most Effective & Efficient Solution in the Central Hardwoods

Currently in Missouri, as in many parts of the country, the felling of trees in a Forest Stand Improvement (FSI) thinning is restricted to certain portions of the year, depending on presence and proximity to known colonies of endangered bats. By using the Hack &amp, Squirt method, FSI can still be conducted during the no-cut period, providing bats with necessary forest openings and forest managers with an additional 7 months to conduct non-commercial thinning, because it does not involve the felling of trees. The Hack &amp, Squirt method is already in use in Missouri, however, specific information regarding application methods, dose, and herbicide are unknown for individual tree species.By minimizing non-target effects, the amount of living roots in the soil and the remaining above-ground biomass will be maximized, leading to improved soil health versus a treatment in which non-target effects are not minimized