Improving Scots pine regeneration on stagnating sites through soil preparation
2025
Dumins, Karlis | Stals, Toms Arturs | Makovskis, Kristaps | Lazdina, Dagnija
Forest regeneration is crucial for sustainable forestry, shaping future stand composition. Clear-cutting can create unfavourable conditions for young trees due to excessive soil moisture, compaction, vegetation competition, and nutrient deficiencies, particularly in acidic coniferous stands. These factors hinder regeneration, causing establishment failure or growth stagnation. Soil preparation, such as spot mounding and inverting, can mitigate these issues by improving nutrient availability, aeration, and moisture balance. This study examined three clear-cut areas with poor Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) regeneration. The soil was treated with spot mounding, inverting, or left unprepared (control), followed by planting containerized seedlings. The work time was recorded, planting spot quality assessed, and tree survival monitored annually over three vegetation seasons. The tree height, annual growth, and root collar diameter were measured after the third season. The results showed persistently acidic soils across all sites. Inverting required more time but created a larger scarified area than spot mounding. Both methods provided suitable planting conditions, ensuring at least 90% survival, compared to 71% in the control. The tallest trees with the largest root collar diameters were found in inverted soil treatments. While soil preparation enhances regeneration in stagnating environments, additional soil amendments may be necessary to maximize the tree growth potential.
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Издатель Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies