Pollarding for multiple benefits

Pollarding is a traditional method of producing fuelwood in agroforestry systems where livestock browsing restricts tree regeneration by seedlings or coppice sprouts. As in coppicing, pollarding produces successive crops of wood from the vegetative sprouts of repeatedly harvested trees, but in pollarding the dominant sprouts are formed near the top of permanent trunks above the reach of livestock. The unique structure of pollards also makes them suitable for use as short-rotation fuelwood trees where fire restricts tree regeneration at ground level. In addition to fuelwood, pollards produce other tree products, as well as soil, wildlife, and esthetic benefits. With this combination of benefits, pollarding has potential for ameliorating certain environmental problems in the midwestern United States and for meeting the multiple objectives of many woodland owners. To assess this potential, we measured biomass yields and sprouting characteristics of honey locust and pin oak pollards harvested on 15- and 11-year rotations, respectively. Both species produced moderate yields of biomass and responded vigorously to pollarding. Potential benefits and problems of the method are discussed and applications of pollarding in farm and nonfarm settings are proposed.