 When managing your woods for timber and wildlife, you will likely hear the term basal area. The basal area of a tree is defined as the cross-sectional area of a single tree at four and a half feet above the ground. To imagine what this looks like, visualize looking down on a one-acre plot where all the trees have been cut at four and a half feet tall. The total square footage of all the trees in that one-acre plot is your basal area per acre. Forests with 70 square feet or less of basal area often allow for sunlight to grow beneficial understory vegetation. However, forests with 100 square feet or greater basal area can lead to closed canopies that shade out desirable understory plants. Implementing a thinning operation may be beneficial to lowering your forest basal area.