Target diameter cutting (måldiameterhuggning) is a harvesting method where all trees larger than a predetermined minimum diameter are cut. This method does not consider a tree’s appearance or its position in the existing stand. The minimum diameter is usually adjusted to timber market prices, though it may also be adjusted to help guard against overharvesting.
Target diameter cutting is essentially the same as the now-criticized “dimension cuttings” that were common in northern Sweden during the first half of the 20th century. Over time, those practices became increasingly exploitative and could leave behind an unproductive stand. With target diameter cutting, a diameter threshold is instead set to ensure the forest isn’t left so sparse after the intervention that growth is impeded.