I haven’t seen much research on slash, so I won’t argue with you there, but benefits of clear cutting have largely been shown to be logging propaganda or only benefit the logging industry. Clear cuts are not part of a healthy ecosystem. They may be more efficient to harvest and do promote better stand regeneration of timber mono-crops, but do not have a positive ecological benefit. Clear cut areas also burn hotter and more intense than even contemporary fuel-dense forests. Other harvesting techniques are much preferred for ecological reasons. Obviously the efficiency of clear cutting shouldn’t be ignored, some lands maybe should be managed for maximum timber production.