Vegetative regeneration after coppicing of Quercus ilex, Phillyrea latifolia, and Fraxinus ornus in two macchia stands in the Maremma Nature Park (Grosseto, Italy) has been studied.Observations during the first three years after the cut showed that horizontal space occupation by shoots is rapid (95 ~"o of the available space being reoccupied within 3 yrs.) and stool mortality very low. We observed differences among species in resprouting, growth pattern and shoot differentiation. Q. ilex and P. lat(folia had a longer budburst period than F. ornus. There were no considerable differences in height growth among the three species in the first year. During the second and third years the height increments decreased. F. ornus average height increments were higher than those of Q. ilex and P. latifolia. These two species produced proleptic flushes from the first year on, while F. ornus only showed spring flush. The examination of proleptic shoots and of summer and autumn rainfall seem to show that the latter control Q. ilex growth and shoot differentiation more than that of other species. Differentiation among shoots of the same stool occurs from the first year onwards and the initial vigour differences amongst shoots remain during the following years. Resprouting, space occupation and shoot differentiation have been discussed in relation to rainfall and temperature.The high stool survival and the strong link between stool vigour parameters before and after coppicing confirm a certain stability in successional dynamics following a single coppicing event.
An old-growth beech forest stand with silver fir within the strict forest reserve of Sasso Fratino has been examined with the following aims: to characterize forest stand on the basis of classic forest parameters and to assess forest stand structure by means of spatial functions; to provide genetic dating of the beech population. Total census of size and position of living trees and deadwood was performed on a 9200 m 2 permanent plot. Vertical distribution of crowns in the stand was assessed using the TSTRAT function, horizontal stand structure using spatial point pattern analysis. Genetic dating was performed on a sample of beech trees. DNA was isolated and each individual was genotyped at four chloroplast microsatellite loci. Microsatellite profiles were compared with the profiles of control DNA of known haplotypes. Results show a multi-strata vertical structure, a horizontal structure characterized by small gaps (5160 m 2 ) where silver fir regeneration sets in. Deadwood is present with all the decay classes and with relatively high volumes. Genetic dating ascribes the Sasso Fratino beech stand to the ancestral haplotype 2: this population can therefore be considered a hot spot of haplotype diversity of the glacial refugia present in central Italy.
Observations on the felling of standards in oak coppices, Central Italy. Recently, in the coppices of Tuscany and many other regions of central Italy, a large number of standards are commonly released, often leaving all the oldest ones. This practice is linked to the concern for inability to sprout by the old standards stumps. The research was carried out in two coppices with standards of Quercus cerris located near San Gimignano (Siena, Italy), and harvested in the winter 2002/2003. The research focus on the evalutation of the effects of the felling of both different age standards (2, 3 or more rotations) and shoots (1 rotation); the stumps vitality and the shoots growth were studied. The results, two years after logging, show little differences about vitality between 2-3 rotations standards stumps and shoots stumps, even if the mortality of the oldest standards is highest (about 20%). Significative differences are observed as related to the increment both in height and diameter of the shoots. The performances are different in each plot, however behaviour of standards are equal or higher than shoots. The results suggest that the low mortality of the 2-3 rotations standard stumps is wide compensated by growth increase of theirs shoots, therefore the harvest of older standard can enhance the development of the shoots by limiting the shading effect carried out by their crowns.
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