Abstract

The study investigated the possibility to transform normal young Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) forests to develop more heterogeneous stand structures, aiming for multi-layered forest in the long run. On three sites in central and south Sweden, 60 per cent of stand basal area was removed by thinning mainly medium-sized trees and leaving the smallest and the largest trees. Over the next 50 years, future stand development was simulated using a single-tree growth model. Simulations were run with and without ingrowth. An additional ingrowth scenario after soil preparation was tested. Basal area was kept between 10 and 20 m(2) ha(-1) during simulations. Projected stem wood production for the next 50 years was one-third lower compared with conventional thinning regimes. After 50 years, a multi-layered forest structure was indicated for the boreal sites in central Sweden, but not for the site in south Sweden.

Published in

Forestry
2014, volume: 87, number: 2, pages: 239-248

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