ECOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF BEECH AND CONIFEROUS/BEECH MOUNTAIN CLIMAX FOREST STANDS OF UKRAINIAN CARPATHIANS

Abstract

According to the age classes, middle-aged forest stands predominate in the mountan forests of the Carpathians (46.2), overmature stands occupy 6.9% (62 thousand ha). According to the recent inventory, about 85 thousand hectares of climax old-growth forests are identified, including climax virgin forests that occupy about 54 thousand hectares which are uneven-aged. For their identification, a population matrix with a division into age groups is suggested, taking into account the age condition of the edificator. There are 6 age groups: pre-generative – juvenile-immature, virginal; generative – young generative, middle-aged, mature and old generative. In terms of the number of uneven-aged beech and coniferous/beech stands, the adequate cenopopulations of beech is dominated. The age spectra of fir and spruce, sycamore maple, ash-tree are generally non-stabilized or fragmentary. On average, on 1 ha of elementary demographic cenopopulation of beech and coniferous/beech stands on the generative generation there are 174-235 beech individuals, 42-52 – fir, 5-16 – spruce, 5-10 – sycamore and ash-tree, respectively.Half of the timber stock (50-60%) is over-mature, and 25% is in mature age condition. In climax cenosis, it can be recommended to conduct a uniform or non-uniform selection felling system. Introduction of population paradigm in forest synecology opens up a new opportunity to divide stands into age generations and treat them as a set of cenopopulations of key species for old-growth forests and virgin forests.

Keywords

• typology
• population
• structure
• beech stand
• coniferous/beech stand