Characteristics of subspontaneous dispersal of Kentucky coffetree (Gymnocladus dioicus (L). K. Koch)in Topčider

Abstract

The paper presents the occurrence of subspontaneous dispersal of Kentucky coffeetree in the park-forest which is a part of a protected natural area "Topčiderski park" in Belgrade. In 1949, three trees of Kentucky coffeetree not older than 85 years were recorded. In 2016, one sexually reproductive tree was recorded in Topčider which is assumed to be one of the three "mother" trees recorded in 1949. The diameter at breast height is 94.6 cm and the height of the tree is 24.1 m. During the past seven decades, the Kentucky coffeetree regenerated successfully from seed and root suckers in the area that was under anthropogenic influence and was left to succession, but the Kentucky coffeetree has not shown invasiveness. In the area of subspontaneous dispersal of Kentucky coffeetree (0.25 ha), all the trees that had diameter at breast height 1.0 cm and more were measured. Fourteen tree and shrub species were identified with a total of 624 trees and Kentucky coffeetree was the most represented species with 326 trees (52.2%). In the subspontaneous regenerated group of Kentucky coffeetree, the diameter at breast height of the thickest tree is 48.2 cm and the highest tree is 25.5 m tall. The diameter structure of Kentucky coffeetree trees shows the declining distribution. Compared to the habitus of "mother" tree, that has a slenderness of 25, the habitus of the dominant and codominant trees in the subspontaneous regenereted group of Kentucky coffeetree is characterized by slenderness of 75-110 that is characteristic of the trees grown in the stand closure.

Keywords

• Gymnocladus dioicus (L.) K. Koch
• subspontaneous dispersal
• diameter structure
• slenderness
• Belgrade