Some basic management activities will be necessary to promote the health and usefulness of a woodland.

Planting

In treeless settings, trees and shrubs may need to be planted in a specific pattern or area to achieve the desired outcomes. Both seedlings and seeds can be used to establish agroforestry plantings.

Thinning

In some agroforestry applications, trees are already present in the landscape. These may require thinning to achieve desired densities.

When trees must be planted in an agroforestry setting, they are initially planted relatively close together. These trees quickly shade out competing undergrowth and encourage straight tall growth. As the trees mature, it may be necessary to remove some of the smaller or poorly formed trees that compete with the more desirable trees. Thinning will give the remaining trees more room to grow and may provide an initial harvest of products such as firewood, craft materials or woodchips.

Pruning

Pruning is the removal of branches from a tree or shrub. Some trees naturally drop branches for various reasons, but it is sometimes necessary to speed this process along. If trees are in a pasture, pruning provides more sunlight for the forage plants below. If trees are to be used for lumber, branches must be removed when they are small to prevent or minimize knots, which can reduce the wood's quality.

Harvesting

Harvesting trees and shrubs for different purposes involves a wide range of equipment and techniques. For instance, firewood may be collected from the ground after branches have died and fallen from the tree. In most cases a chainsaw is necessary when harvesting larger trees for firewood. Large equipment for moving, processing and loading harvested wood may also be needed.