J. For. Sci., 2008, 54(12):533-544 | DOI: 10.17221/42/2008-JFS

The effects of cutting regimes on natural regeneration in submountain beech forests: species diversity and abundance

M. Barna
Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovakia

The paper summarizes the results of 15-year natural regeneration for beech of five plots with different densities situated in the Western Carpathians Mts. Three of the plots were subjected to differently intensive shelterwood cuttings (plots L, M, H), one plot was clear-cut (CC), and one was left without intervention - as a control (C). The number of one-year-old seedlings decreased proportionally with increasing cutting intensity. The ANOVA results document a significant influence of cutting intensity on the abundance of both one-year-old and older seedlings. The abundance of beech seedlings was initially increasing with increasing cutting intensity, and, having reached the peak on plot M (medium intensity), there followed a decrease in the seedling abundance. Lower numbers of beech seedlings on plots subjected to less intensive cutting (C, L) result from less favourable growth conditions in comparison with plot M. On the other hand, cutting of higher intensity (H, CC) resulted in lower numbers of fructifying parent trees. The medium cut intervention having provided the plot M with stocking of 0.5 (50% of the stand) resulted in a lower number of seed resources (limiting factor for natural regeneration). However, for the other factor - seedling establishment (survival and recruitment) this plot (M) represents an ecological optimum in beech regeneration in the given conditions.

Keywords: regeneration development; stand density; shelterwood cutting; clear cutting; Fagus sylvatica L.

Published: December 31, 2008  Show citation

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Barna M. The effects of cutting regimes on natural regeneration in submountain beech forests: species diversity and abundance. J. For. Sci. 2008;54(12):533-544. doi: 10.17221/42/2008-JFS.
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