The effects of shelterwood density and site preparation on natural regeneration of Fagus sylvatica in southern Sweden

The natural regeneration of beech (Fagus sylvatica) was studied under various shelterwood densities and soil preparations in a 130-year-old beech stand in southern Sweden. Between 1990 and 1996, seedling emergence, survival, growth and damage were followed in a clear-cut and in two shelterwoods with different densities, in plots with undisturbed ground, bare mineral soil or ridges with mineral soil on top of humus. Irradiation, soil and air temperatures, soil moisture and precipitation were continuously recorded during the first three growing seasons. The seedling emergence was higher in the shelterwoods than in the clear-cut. The mortality was the highest during the first year. The seedling number was the highest on bare mineral soil and the lowest on undisturbed ground, for all cutting regimes. The increase in seedling height and dry mass was greater in the clear-cut and in the sparse shelterwood than in the dense shelterwood. Damage due to frost was more frequent in the clear-cut than in the shelterwoods. Effects of most kind of damage had only minor influence on the seedling height, whereas in seedlings experiencing frequent damage height was reduced. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.