Advance Regeneration of Norway Spruce and Scots Pine in Hemiboreal Forests in Latvia

Abstract

Continuous cover forestry (CCF) aims to emulate small natural disturbances and take advantage of natural regeneration. To implement these management practices successfully, knowledge of advance regeneration under the canopy in different conditions is crucial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of stand inventory parameters of canopy layer (age, basal area, height, and density) on the probability and density of advance regeneration of the Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in hemiboreal forests in Latvia. The data were obtained from the National Forest Inventory, from a total of 879 plots. In the study, only Norway spruce or Scots pine dominated stands were used and the sampled stand age ranged from 21 to 218 years. The probability of advance regeneration differed between stands dominated by Scots pine versus Norway spruce. The probability and density of the advance regeneration of Norway spruce were positively linked to increased stand age, whereas the probability of the advance regeneration of Scots pine was negatively linked to the basal area of the stand. In stands dominated by Norway spruce and Scots pine on mesic soils, the advance regeneration of Norway spruce has a high density, whereas the advance regeneration of Scots pine is sporadic and scarce.

Under-Canopy Regeneration of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) as Adaptive Potential in Building a Diverse Stand Structure

“…The gap dynamics are closely related to natural regeneration methods [24,[71][72][73]. Close-tonature management uses canopy gaps [74][75][76] to stimulate the natural regeneration process. Naturation regeneration can serve as an alternative or supplement both to conventional large-scale management and gap regeneration.…”

Unlocking Digitalization in Forest Operations with Viewshed Analysis to Improve GNSS Positioning Accuracy

“…Conventional even-aged rotational forest management concludes in clear cutting and forest regeneration by natural, sowing, or planting [13][14][15]. Continuous cover forestry is a silvicultural alternative aimed at achieving multifunctional objectives including increased species diversity, a more resilient stand structure, and increased carbon storage [16][17][18][19][20][21]. Improving the accuracy of under-canopy harvester positioning is a necessity to increase the efficiency and practicality of this approach, including the development of new harvesting methods based on the precise positioning, tree selection, and collection of stand structure data before and after harvesting.…”

Natural Disturbance Dynamics Analysis for Ecosystem-Based Management—FORDISMAN

“…Strong human impact is considered in studies of forest genetic composition [56], drained wetlands [57], and carbon fluxes after timber harvest [58]. Additionally, advance regeneration as an important legacy component is analyzed by Luguza et al [59]. Economic aspects of windthrow are analyzed in [60].…”