The Influence of Regeneration Fellings on the Development of Artificially Regenerated Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Plantations

Abstract

This paper analyses the development of beech plantations aged 7 to 18 years that were planted in gap cuts (0.1–0.25 ha; ISF 50%), clear cuts (0.5–1.0 ha; ISF 87%) and finally underplanted areas in shelterwood cuts in mature spruce stands (G = 22–26 m2/ha; ISF 28%). The research consisted of the following analyses: height growth, diameter growth and beech quality development. We used standard statistical tools (p < 0.05) for evaluating height and diameter growth, which showed significant differences in both characteristics (total height and DBH) within 7-year-old and 13-year-old plantations grown in all three regeneration treatments. The tallest beech trees with greatest DBH at the age of 7 and 13 were found in clearings whereas shortest and thinnest trees grew in shelterwoods. However, at the age of 18, there was no significant different between gap cut and clear cut in both parameters. The best quality was observed in shelterwoods.

Keywords

• European beech
• regeneration felling
• artificial regeneration
• height
• DBH – the diameter at breast-height
• quality