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Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 | 2004

Special issue: Uneven-aged Forest Management

Category : Research article

article id 410, category Research article

Jouni Siipilehto, Juha Siitonen. (2004). Degree of previous cutting in explaining the differences in diameter distributions between mature managed and natural Norway spruce forests. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 410. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.410

Keywords: Picea abies; stand structure; naturalness; Johnson’s SB distribution

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The degree of naturalness was assessed in 37 mature (stand age 80 198 yrs) Norway spruce dominated stands located in southern Finland by measuring the number (0 610 ha–1) and basal area (0 33 m2 ha–1) of cut stumps. The Johnson’s SB distribution was fitted for living spruce trees to describe the dbh-frequency and basal area-dbh distributions. Regression models were constructed for predicting the parameters of the SB distribution using traditional stand parameters (median diameter, basal area, stem number) and the cut stump variables (number, basal area). Stump variables improved the models and enabled to explain the differences in diameter distributions between stands with varying intensity of past cutting. Model for basal area-dbh distribution was more accurate than dbh-frequency model in terms of regression statistics, but less accurate in terms of generated stand variables. The number and basal area of cut stumps seem to be useful and simple measures of stand naturalness which have potential uses in stand modelling and biodiversity-oriented forestry planning.

Siipilehto, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Centre, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: jouni.siipilehto@metla.fi
Siitonen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Centre, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: juha.siitonen@metla.fi

article id 409, category Research article

Hubert Sterba. (2004). Equilibrium curves and growth models to deal with forests in transition to uneven-aged structure – application in two sample stands. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 409. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.409

Keywords: uneven-aged forests; growth models; stem number distribution; transformation

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Stem number distributions in uneven-aged forests are assumed to be stable, if they follow special functions, e.g. de Liocourt’s reverse J-shaped breast height diameter distribution. These distributions therefore are frequently regarded as a target in all-aged forests. Intending to convert an even-aged forest or any other forest, not yet exhibiting this sort of equilibrium, towards a steady state forest, the question rises, how to choose an appropriate equilibrium curve and how to achieve this stem number distribution by an appropriate thinning and harvesting schedule. Two stands are investigated: One dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies), having developed from a 120 year old even-aged stand 25 years ago, after several “target diameter thinnings”. The other one is a mixed species stand of Norway spruce, white fir (Abies alba), larch (Larix europea), common beech (Fagus silvatica), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), having lost its typical uneven-aged structure 20 years ago. These stands were used, together with the distance independent individual tree growth model PrognAus, to reveal that 1) there are more than only one equilibrium curve per stand, 2) not every hypothesised equilibrium can be reached with any stand, 3) an equilibrium in stem number does not necessarily mean a stable species distribution, and 4) growth models provide an excellent help to decide between several equilibrium curves and harvesting schedules to reach them.

Sterba, BOKU – University of Natural Resources an Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Peter Jordanstrasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria E-mail: hubert.sterba@boku.ac.at

article id 408, category Research article

Sakari Sarkkola, Hannu Hökkä, Timo Penttilä. (2004). Natural development of stand structure in peatland Scots pine following drainage: results based on long-term monitoring of permanent sample plots. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 408. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.408

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; peatland; tree mortality; stand structure; drainage; dbh distribution

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We studied the dynamics of stand structure on drained peatland sites in Scots pine dominated stands untreated with thinnings. The data consisted of consecutive stand measurements in 10 permanent sample plots where the monitoring periods varied from 29 to 66 years. We assumed that the stand’s structural development was driven by the natural processes of regeneration, growth, and mortality, all related to inter-tree competition within the stand. The DBH distributions of live and dead trees at different times of post-drainage stand development – smoothed by Weibull function – were analysed to characterise the change in stand structure. The initial uneven-sized structure of the natural, widely-spaced stands became more uneven during the first decades following drainage due to enhanced regeneration. Later, as stand density and mean tree size continuously increased, the DBH distributions approached bell-shaped distributions. Accordingly, the suppressed trees showed their highest mortality rate during the first decades, but the peak of the mortality distribution shifted to larger trees along stand succession. The change in structure was faster in southern Finland than in northern Finland. We assumed the changes in stand dynamics reflected increased inter-tree competition, initiated by enhanced site productivity and increased stand stocking resulting from the ditching operation.

Sarkkola, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Ecology, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland E-mail: sakari.sarkkola@helsinki.fi
Hökkä, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Station, P.O. Box 16, FI-96301 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: hh@nn.fi
Penttilä, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Centre, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: tp@nn.fi

article id 407, category Research article

Soili Kojola, Timo Penttilä, Raija Laiho. (2004). Impacts of different thinning regimes on the yield of uneven-structured Scots pine stands on drained peatland. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 407. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.407

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; stand structure; silviculture; growth and yield; peatland forestry; intermediate cuttings

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Drained peatlands in northern Europe comprise more than 10 million ha of forestland and thus constitute a considerable production potential in forestry. Much of this area consists of stands dominated by Scots pine and close to maturity regarding commercial thinning. The trees within these stands typically vary in terms of age, size, and growth rate. The impacts of silvicultural cuttings on these uneven-structured stands are inadequately known. We simulated the impacts of a control regime with no thinnings, and three different thinning regimes, involving different thinning intensities, on the development of fifteen pine-dominated stands in Finland. The simulations started from the first thinnings and were continued until regeneration maturity. The predicted total yields ranged from 244 to 595 m3 ha–1, depending on site and thinning regime. The highest total yields were observed for the control regime in which 18–38% of the yield was, however, predicted to self-thin by the end of the simulation. Thus, the differences in the yields of merchantable wood were fairly small among the compared regimes. However, the regimes involving thinnings generally needed less time than the control regime to reach regeneration maturity. The mean annual increment of total stem volume was at its highest in the control regime. The highest mean annual increment of merchantable wood was obtained in the regime involving two moderate thinnings, but excluding the most low-productive sites where thinnings did not increase the yield of merchantable wood.

Kojola, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Centre, P.O. Box 18, FIN-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: soili.kojola@metla.fi
Penttilä, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Centre, P.O. Box 18, FIN-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: tp@nn.fi
Laiho, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Ecology, P.O. Box 27, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland E-mail: rl@nn.fi

article id 406, category Research article

Bernt-Håvard Øyen, Petter Nilsen. (2004). Growth and recruitment after mountain forest selective cutting in irregular spruce forest. A case study in Northern Norway. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 406. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.406

Keywords: Norway spruce; mountain forests; selective cutting; North-Norway

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During the last thirty years the interest for the use of selective cutting in the sub-alpine spruce forests of Norway has increased. However, there have been very few investigations on the post harvesting development after such cuttings. Four plots in irregular Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) dominated forests on semi-fertile sites in Northern Norway have been the subjects of a case study. We performed a reconstruction of the stand development by means of biometric assessments and ring widths measurements of all standing trees. Tree ages, stand structure, growth and recruitment were examined. Even though a hypothetical reverse J-curve for the present diameter distribution was identified, the four plots were even-aged. Growth reactions indicate that most of the present sawtimber trees were established after heavy dimension cuttings in the late 19th century. The recruitment situation is characterized as satisfying in one of four plots. The post harvesting mean volume increment on the plots have been about two thirds of the potential yield estimated from site indices and maximum mean annual increment in regular stands. Managing strategies for irregular spruce forest stands are briefly discussed.

Øyen, Norwegian Forest Research Institute-Bergen, Fanaflaten 4, N-5244 Fana, Bergen, Norway E-mail: bernt-havard.oyen@skogforsk.no
Nilsen, Norwegian Forest Research Institute-Bergen, Fanaflaten 4, N-5244 Fana, Bergen, Norway E-mail: pn@nn.no

article id 405, category Research article

Timo Saksa. (2004). Regeneration process from seed crop to saplings – a case study in uneven-aged Norway spruce-dominated stands in southern Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 405. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.405

Keywords: boreal forest; Picea abies; regeneration; uneven-aged

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The dynamics of spruce regeneration, from seed crop to saplings, was studied based on five permanent plots in uneven-aged, spruce-dominated, boreal forest stands, cut with single-tree selection in the beginning of the 1990’s. The annual fluctuation of the spruce seed crop was very similar in uneven-aged and even-aged stands. The correlation between seed crop and number of germinants was significant; but stem number, basal area or volume of the stand did not influence on seedling emergence. The effects of good seed crops were seen as peaks or an increase in the number of germinants and smallest seedlings. The mean number of ‘stabilised’ spruce seedlings (height 11 cm to 130 cm) varied from 6000 ha^–1 to over 25 000 spruce seedlings ha^–1 from one monitoring plot to another. On a monitoring plot the number of ‘stabilised’ spruce seedlings was stable over time. Neither stand basal area nor stand volume influenced the number of ‘stabilised’ spruce seedlings, but the height of these seedlings was higher on subplots with lower stand volume and smaller basal area. In this study the monitoring period, 5–10 years, was too short to obtain reliable figures for ingrowth, i.e. the transition of seedlings to the sapling stage (h > 130 cm). The adjusted mean ingrowth was 26 stems ha^–1 year^–1.

Saksa, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Suonenjoki Research Station, FI-77600 Suonenjoki, Finland E-mail: timo.saksa@metla.fi

article id 404, category Research article

William L. Mason, Colin Edwards, Sophie E. Hale. (2004). Survival and early seedling growth of conifers with different shade tolerance in a Sitka spruce spacing trial and relationship to understorey light climate. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 404. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.404

Keywords: seedling growth; light regime; stand density; irregular silviculture

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Alternative silvicultural systems to clearfelling are being adopted in Great Britain as a means of increasing the species and structural diversity of conifer plantation forests. One area where knowledge is lacking is the critical level of below-canopy light for survival and growth of young seedlings. This was investigated by planting seedlings of European larch Larix decidua (Mill.), Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L., Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis (Bong.(Carr.)), Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.(Franco.)), and western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla (Raf. (Sarg.)) in a Sitka spruce plantation thinned to 3 different spacings. The incident light intensity beneath the canopy ranged from about 2 to over 60 per cent of full light. Planting in an adjoining open area provided an indication of growth under full light. Growth and survival of these seedlings were followed for 4 growing seasons. The highest seedling survival was found under the widest spacing and declined with closer spacing and lower light intensity. Only Douglas fir and western hemlock seedlings survived at the closest spacing, and in low percentages. The tallest seedlings of each species were found in the open grown conditions but survival was variable due to increased weed competition. Species-specific growth responses showed little difference under high light conditions but performance at low light was generally consistent with shade tolerance rankings in the literature except that Sitka spruce shade tolerance was slightly lower than expected. Minimum light requirements for these species increased from 10 to 30 per cent of full light with decreasing shade tolerance. Other studies of incident light in Sitka spruce plantations indicated that target basal areas in the range 25–30 m2 ha–1 are required if these light conditions are to be met, which suggests an irregular shelterwood system with frequent interventions should be favoured.

Mason, Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, UK, EH25 9SY E-mail: bill.mason@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
Edwards, Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, UK, EH25 9SY E-mail: ce@nn.uk
Hale, Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, UK, EH25 9SY E-mail: seh@nn.uk

Category : Review article

article id 411, category Review article

Arthur Groot, Sylvie Gauthier, Yves Bergeron. (2004). Stand dynamics modelling approaches for multicohort management of eastern Canadian boreal forests. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 411. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.411

Keywords: boreal forests; Canada; dynamic models; multi-cohort forest management

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The objective of this paper is to discuss approaches and issues related to modelling stand dynamics for multi-cohort forest management in eastern Canadian boreal forests. In these forests, the interval between wildfires can be rather long, and the development of natural forest stands may include the establishment, growth and mortality of several cohorts of trees. Later cohorts are characterised by increasing structural complexity, including spatial heterogeneity and irregular tree size distribution. A multi-cohort forest management framework has been proposed to maintain this complexity, and associated biodiversity, on the landscape. Multi-cohort forest management planning requires forecasts of the development of stands with complex structure in response to silvicultural treatment and to natural disturbance, but current stand dynamics models in the region are applicable mainly to even-aged mono-specific stands. Possible modelling approaches for complex stands include i) the adaptation of current whole-stand growth and yield models, ii) distance-independent, empirically-derived individual-tree models, such as the USDA Forest Service Forest Vegetation Simulator, and iii) distance-dependent, empirically-derived or process-oriented individual-tree models. We conclude that individual-tree models are needed because observational data for fitting whole-stand models are not available for the full array of silvicultural treatments and natural disturbances encompassed by multi-cohort forest management. Predictive accuracy is a concern with individual-tree models, and the incorporation of coarse-scale constraints into these models is a promising means to control error.

Groot, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1219 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6A 2E5, Canada E-mail: agroot@nrcan.gc.ca
Gauthier, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1055 du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 3800, Sainte-Foy, QC, G1V 4C7, Canada E-mail: sg@nn.ca
Bergeron, University of Quebec at Abitibi-Temiscamingue, 445 Boul de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, QC, J9X 5E4, Canada E-mail: yb@nn.ca

Category : Commentary

article id 480, category Commentary

Pasi Puttonen, Sauli Valkonen. (2004). Preface. Silva Fennica vol. 38 no. 4 article id 480. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.480

View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Puttonen, University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland E-mail: pasi.puttonen@helsinki.fi
Valkonen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Unit, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: sauli.valkonen@metla.fi

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