Continuous cover forestry

Continuous cover forestry is a broad range of forest management practices which may have some beneficial hydrological effects. The main idea behind continuous cover forestry is a reduction in the number or size of clear-cuts. Some definitions of continuous cover forestry state that no clear-cuts shall be larger than 0.25 ha. Continuous cover forestry ensures that there is an uninterrupted tree canopy and that the soil surface in never exposed. An uninterrupted tree canopy will have higher interception than a site with discontinuous tree cover. Ensuring that soils are never exposed will limit sediment production.