Full text of this article is only available in PDF format.

Karri Uotila (email), Juho Rantala, Timo Saksa

Estimating the need for early cleaning in Norway spruce plantations in Finland

Uotila K., Rantala J., Saksa T. (2012). Estimating the need for early cleaning in Norway spruce plantations in Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 5 article id 919. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.919

Abstract

Effective management of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) plantations requires detailed information on stand development, which is costly to measure. However, estimating the need for early stand management from site attributes that persists stabile after ones measured, may provide an inexpensive alternative. This study compared hardwood competition in spruce plantations of varying ages and tested the usability of this information in estimating the need for early cleaning. The data included 197 spruce plantations (4–7 years old) inventoried in southern Finland in 2007. The level (Low, Substantial, High) of need for early cleaning was subjectively determined by contrasting location and size of competing hardwoods to a conifer crop tree. Then the stage of the need for early cleaning was modelled according to site and stand attributes. Nearly 60% of the conifer crop trees in the plantations were subjectively judged to require early cleaning (Substantial 37.2%, High 21.2%), but only 10 per cent of the evaluated area was cleaned. Need for cleaning was intense on peatlands or damp soils, whereas it was mild on unprepared soils or cleaned sites. Traditional site characteristics used in forest management planning can be useful for recognising the peripheral cases, where need for cleaning is probably high or low. However, on a typical mineral soil plantation (uncleaned, soil prepared) the model indicates the differences in the need for early cleaning weakly. The need for early cleaning was already high in 4-year-old plantations, why stand age did not have significant effect on development of the need. Thus, the timing of an operation can not be predicted with the model. Nonetheless, early cleaning very likely opens growth space of crop trees in a 4–7-year-old spruce plantation. Therefore, from an aspect of crop growth, an uncleaned Norway spruce plantation in this age group is quite consistently worth cleaning.

Keywords
cleaning; conifer release; cost-effectiveness; forest vegetation management; early cleaning

Author Info (View)

Received 6 September 2012 Accepted 26 November 2012 Published 31 December 2012

Views 4009

Available at https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.919 | Download PDF

Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 4.0

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.
If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.
Sign up to receive alerts of new content

Your selected articles
Your search results
Saksa T., Miina J. et al. (2023) Uprooting as a pre-commercial thinning operation.. Silva Fennica vol. 57 no. 2 article id 22027
Uotila K., Luoranen J. et al. (2022) Long-term growth response of Norway spruce in di.. Silva Fennica vol. 56 no. 4 article id 10762
Uotila K., Saksa T. (2021) Cost-efficient pre-commercial thinning: effects .. Silva Fennica vol. 55 no. 4 article id 10507
Nuutinen Y., Miina J. et al. (2021) Comparing the characteristics of boom-corridor a.. Silva Fennica vol. 55 no. 3 article id 10462
Laine T., Kankaanhuhta V. et al. (2020) Effects of spot mounding and inverting on growth.. Silva Fennica vol. 54 no. 5 article id 10369
Uotila K., Miina J. et al. (2020) Low cost prediction of time consumption for pre-.. Silva Fennica vol. 54 no. 1 article id 10196
Saksa T., Miina J. et al. (2018) Quality of spot mounding performed by continuous.. Silva Fennica vol. 52 no. 2 article id 9933
Haataja L., Kankaanhuhta V. et al. (2018) Reliability of self-control method in the manage.. Silva Fennica vol. 52 no. 1 article id 1665
Uotila K., Saksa T. et al. (2014) Labour consumption models applied to motor-manua.. Silva Fennica vol. 48 no. 2 article id 982
Heiskanen J., Saksa T. et al. (2013) Soil preparation method affects outplanting succ.. Silva Fennica vol. 47 no. 1 article id 893
Uotila K., Rantala J. et al. (2012) Estimating the need for early cleaning in Norway.. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 5 article id 919
Uotila K., Rantala J. et al. (2010) Effect of soil preparation method on economic re.. Silva Fennica vol. 44 no. 3 article id 146
Kankaanhuhta V., Saksa T. et al. (2010) The effect of quality management on forest regen.. Silva Fennica vol. 44 no. 2 article id 157
Kankaanhuhta V., Saksa T. et al. (2009) Variation in the results of Norway spruce planti.. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 1 article id 217
Saksa T., Miina J. (2007) Cleaning methods in planted Scots pine stands in.. Silva Fennica vol. 41 no. 4 article id 274
Saksa T., (2004) Regeneration process from seed crop to saplings .. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 405
Sikström U., Hjelm K. et al. (2020) Influence of mechanical site preparation on rege.. Silva Fennica vol. 54 no. 2 article id 10172
Laine T., Hamberg L. et al. (2019) The efficacy of Chondrostereum purpureum .. Silva Fennica vol. 53 no. 3 article id 10195
Saksa T., Heiskanen J. et al. (2005) Multilevel modelling of height growth in young N.. Silva Fennica vol. 39 no. 1 article id 403