The Response of Basal Area Increment in Old Sprout-origin Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) Trees During Their Conversion to a Coppice-with-standards

Abstract

This paper addresses the response of adult sprout-origin sessile oaks (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) to a strong release. Our research plot was established at the Training Forest Enterprise of Mendel University in Brno (Czech Republic) at the turn of 2008/2009. The plot is situated on a plateau with mesotrofic soil in a beech-oak forest vegetation zone at an altitude of 410 m above sea level. Tree responses were monitored using precise girth measurements. During the first year after the release, the basal area increment showed a positive correlation with only the tree diameter. During the second and third year, the basal area increment was also correlated with the release intensity. During the third year, the basal area increment was explained by the tree diameter, the crown shape, and the release intensity as well as individual types of epicormic shoot occurrence. The occurrence of epicormic shoots in the lower part of the trunks and umbel-shaped crowns increased the basal area increment. In the first, second and third year after thinning, the model explained 11.79%, 11.25% and 28.99%, respectively, of the basal area increment variability. Adult trees of sprout origin responded to a strong release very early (within two years) after felling.

Keywords

• sessile oak
• conversion
• coppice-with-standards
• strong release
• competition
• basal area increment