Indici strutturali e di competizione per la caratterizzazione di popolamenti cedui di castagno

Abstract

Structural and competition indexes to characterise chestnut coppice stands. Structure, tree density and variation of tree specific composition are parameters useful to describe both natural dynamics and competition processes. In the field forestry, synthetic indices descriptive of both specific - structural diversity and competition are used, especially for high forests. In the present paper, the relations between silvicultural treatment and some synthetic indices descriptive of thinned chestnuts coppice stands differently aged are analysed. The main goals of the paper are: i) to verify the application of some in coppice stands, to evaluate their adaptation to differentiate and quantify the structural complexity, stand dynamics and competition processes as a function of past silvicultural history; ii) to ascertain the utility of the indices for the planning of future thinnings. The study was carried out in three experimental plots of the “Altopiano delle Pizzorne, (Lu)”. The stands analysed are differently aged (43 and 64 years) and as for silvicultural background which affected both the present structure and the ongoing competitive process. The detailed of stands structure analysis was carried out within experimental areas (1200m2), besides manserational parameters, data necessary to determine the competition indices were acquired. Data analysis led to determine synthetic indices of distributive, structural and specific diversity. The analysed stands show a one-storied, monospecifici structure with a tree distribution from regular to random and reduced level of individual competition. The chosen indices describe the effect of the applied treatment and show that the analysed stands are not characterized by the clustered distribution typical of coppices. The active silvicultural treatment determines the simplification of the stand structure. Furthermore, the selected indices, synthetic and easy to calculate, represent a useful operational instrument in silvicultural planning.

Keywords

• thinning
• chestnut
• structure
• synthetic indices