Forest@ (Jan 2006)
Observations on the felling of standards in oak coppices, Central Italy.
Abstract
Recently, in the coppices of Tuscany and many other regions of central Italy, a large number of standards are commonly released, often leaving all the oldest ones. This practice is linked to the concern for inability to sprout by the old standards stumps. The research was carried out in two coppices with standards of Quercus cerris located near San Gimignano (Siena, Italy), and harvested in the winter 2002/2003. The research focus on the evalutation of the effects of the felling of both different age standards (2, 3 or more rotations) and shoots (1 rotation); the stumps vitality and the shoots growth were studied. The results, two years after logging, show little differences about vitality between 2-3 rotations standards stumps and shoots stumps, even if the mortality of the oldest standards is highest (about 20%). Significative differences are observed as related to the increment both in height and diameter of the shoots. The performances are different in each plot, however behaviour of standards are equal or higher than shoots. The results suggest that the low mortality of the 2-3 rotations standard stumps is wide compensated by growth increase of theirs shoots, therefore the harvest of older standard can enhance the development of the shoots by limiting the shading effect carried out by their crowns.
