Age Distribution of Oak Stands Within the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe, Ukraine, Broken Down by Forest Categories

Abstract

Oak forests perform essential environmental, protective, recreational and healthimproving functions as well as meet the needs of the national economy in valuable wood both at the local and regional levels. To determine the regime of use and provide effective forest management in the oak forests, it is advisable to improve the age structure of these stands, taking into account their functionality, which is determined by their belonging to a certain forest category. The data of the last forest inventory (as of 2011) were the basis for the calculations. In total, about 70,000 survey plots in oak stands within the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe were analysed. The area of the investigated stands was 284,094 hectares. The area of oak stands in Ukrainian Left-Bank Forest-Steppe was divided according to forest categories and age groups based on forest surveying data using the inventory subcompartment database. It was found that that oak stands are mainly concentrated in recreational, health-improving and protective forests, and therefore fulfill important water conservation and soil protection functions as well as provide recreational, sanitary, hygienic, aesthetic and other environmental services. The age distribution of oak stands was revealed to be imbalanced in all forest categories, with a significant predominance of middle-aged and maturing stands. Also, a very large proportion of mature and overmature stands and a small proportion of young stands were identified. This specificity is an important reason for forestry interventions aimed at optimizing the age structure, in particular, for complex felling, including conversion felling, in middle-aged understocked stands within forests fulfilling nature protection, scientific, historic, cultural, recreational and protective functions. This will contribute to the gradual transformation of even-aged stands to uneven-aged mixed multi-storeyed ones. The composition and structure of such new stands will meet the necessary criteria for those close to natural forests.