Taimikon

Taimikon is a Finnish forestry term used to describe a stand of young trees within a managed forest. It refers to early-stage forest growth, typically after regeneration from harvest or disturbance, where trees are comparatively small in diameter and grouped in a relatively uniform age class. The concept is used in forest planning to categorize stands that still require silvicultural treatment before reaching maturity.

In practice, taimikon stands are subject to silvicultural interventions such as thinning to reduce competition, improve growth of selected trees, and steer development toward a desired final harvest regime. The timing, intensity, and methods of thinning depend on species, site productivity, and management objectives, with aims including faster diameter growth, improved wood quality, and considerations for biodiversity and long-term stand structure.

Etymology and usage: The term derives from the Finnish taimi, meaning sapling or shoot, and is used in forestry literature to denote a stand of young trees. While primarily a Finnish concept, the idea of a young-growth stand is widely recognized in boreal and temperate forestry to describe early-stage stands needing future management.

See also: Forest stand; Thinning; Regeneration; Silviculture.