Forest stand structure under different management

Ondřej Špulák

Human interventions affected natural development of forests over centuries. The most intensive disturbances were documented at lower and middle altitudes. These managed forests were typical of low stem density and broken canopy which allowed penetration of solar radiation. Many shade intolerant species benefitted from these conditions. However, the contemporary forestry practices do not offer these conditions any more. To maintain and restore biodiversity in protected areas, proposal of some silvicultural measures is needed; the more organisms are supported, the more combined measures are to be applied. The proposed silvicultural measures to manage forest structure are leaving forests to spontaneous development, conversion to selection forest, reduction of stand stocking using heavy thinning, coppicing, forest pasture, leaving over-aged trees and wood debris and management of forest edges. To demonstrate their real impact, several measures were applied and documented using FieldMap technology.

 

Project Silviculture measures to improve forest biodiversity in protected areas
Project number EHP-CZ02-OV-1-015-2014, Supported by grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway