Selection cutting (blädning) is a harvesting method where the site remains continuously forested, with the goal of creating or maintaining a fully stratified forest. In a fully stratified forest, trees occur in all height classes—from small seedlings to large trees—distributed throughout the forest. There are more small trees than large ones.
Selection cutting works best when standing timber volume is relatively high. The interval between harvests varies depending on site productivity, but typically ranges from 10 to 30 years. Removals usually amount to 20–30% of total standing volume.