Abstract

This essay was written as a part of my PhD project and will serve to introduce me to the subject direct seeding of forest trees. The conventional method of using transplanted seedlings for forest regeneration is rather expensive and it would be beneficial for both commercial forestry and forest restoration projects if the costs of regeneration could be reduced. Direct seeding has the potential to be a cheaper way to create new forest, but at present there are a number of difficulties which need to be addressed before the method can be applied with a high expectancy of success. Before starting the direct seeding it is important to consider what locality is suitable and what tree species to use that is well adapted to that site. It is also essential to prepare the site carefully so that weeds are not out-competing the trees. Rodents predating on the seeds constitute a major problem to direct seeding why it is important that the area is as clean from slash and vegetation as possible, since mice and voles do not like large open places. Another important matter when dealing with direct seeding is that the seeds need to be stored and pre-treated properly. The way to do those things differ between species, but it is important to do it correctly to make the seeds germinate when expected. There are still a lot of things concerning direct seeding that are unknown, particularly when it comes to temperate species, and more research is needed to improve the method. One of the main problems is the predation on seeds, and that is the focus of my PhD project.

Published in

Arbetsrapport - Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, Institutionen för sydsvensk skogsvetenskap
2006, number: 29
Publisher: Institutionen för sydsvensk skogsvetenskap, Sverige lantbruksuniversitet

SLU Authors

• Birkedal, Maria

  • Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/128809