In British Columbia, many of our second-growth stands have regenerated as mixed-species
stands and yet our understanding of how to manage these stands to achieve multiple goals is
limited. There is considerable interest and need to identify management strategies that will
optimize timber production and carbon storage while maintaining biodiversity in the
province’s managed forests. Careful use of mixed-species management may contribute to
meeting these goals. This discussion paper reviews the published literature that compares
yield in single-and mixed-species stands. The review shows that drawing any definitive con-
clusions on whether mixed-species stands had a higher yield than single-species stands is not
possible because of the confounding influence of four key factors: 1) species composition; 2)
site type; 3) density and pattern; and 4) assessment age. To plan mixed-species plantations
with native species that may out-yield monocultures and have other potential benefits, silvi-
culturists will need to extrapolate from past research and pay close attention to these factors.
