That info helps.
Don't have any idea why removing the sod would be helpful, and even exposes the soil to erosion. The sod isn't your enemy here, but your friend. Exposing the soil will bring a multitude of weeds from seed that can't grow through the grass. That you don't want, and why I don't recommend using Roundup to kill everything first.
What I did (13 years ago) with 5 acre planting of oak, white pine, and white spruce was to use a single subsoiler tooth, rip the ground open along the planting strip. The following spring I hand planted the seedlings in the ripped path. Sprayed to keep the weed competition (Oust is what I used) down, and mowed between the trees to keep the tall grass down. Worked super well. The ripped ground allowed for easy dibble planting and surface water to seep in easily and keep the trees well watered.
Forty years ago, I planted a thousand black walnut trees in a plowed field. Put them in on carefully laid out 10 x 10 ft spacing and cultivated for the first 12-15 years. But the cultivating damages the roots near the surface, and I would do that again (and not that I ever will have to make that decision
). Erosion is the enemy with complete cultivation, as well as expensive with today's fuel prices.
Now, if you are planning a nursery then the picture changes from just planning a forest or woodlot.
