Assessment of Natural Conifer Regeneration in the Clear Cutting Arеa of the Roshchino Forestry

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Abstract

Сutovers are a large part of reforestation fund. It is known that the main method of forest regeneration in cutting areas of the taiga zone is natural regeneration. For a number of reasons artificial regeneration remains inefficient. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of natural regeneration. Permanent sample plots of the forest fund in the Roshchino Forestry (Leningrad Region, Russia) were taken as objects of this study. Stock of undergrowth was taken according to the method developed by A.V. Gryazkin. By its condition, the undergrowth was divided into viable, nonviable, and dead standing trees, and by degree of damage into damaged and undamaged. The number of undergrowth varies greatly depending on the object of research due to different soil conditions and period when the cutting was done, as well as differences in the initial composition of the stands.  In terms of composition, the undergrowth is heterogeneous. All the sites, except for two, are dominated by birch. Undergrowth of deciduous and coniferous species is evenly distributed at the sites under study. All the sites are dominated by viable undergrowth with varying age structure. The greatest number of young pine undergrowth – 60.9 % – are 5 to 6 years old. Pine undergrowth aged eight years old and above is found in small amounts (1.4 %). In this regard, we can conclude that pine undergrowth appeared in this area a year after the cutting, when favorable conditions for its growth started to form. Advance regeneration pine undergrowth is virtually nonexistent. By age, spruce undergrowth is distributed rather evenly. In contrast to pine undergrowth, the percentage of advance regeneration spruce is significant (57.7 %). The age series of spruce in this cutting area can be tracked up to 27 years. The ground cover is dominated by cereal plants, which at the end of the growing season form a continuous mat preventing the normal growth and development of small saplings. The main conclusion: the success of natural regeneration of pine and spruce largely depends on the total projective cover of ground vegetation. A strong effect on pine undergrowth is produced by the cover of cereal plants as they quickly form sod which prevents seed germination and seedling growth.

Authors

A.A. Fetisova, A.V. Gryazkin, N.V. Kovalev, M. Gutal St. Petersburg State Forest Technical University named after S.M. Kirov

Affiliation

St. Petersburg State Forest Technical University named after S.M. Kirov

Keywords

natural regeneration, spruce, pine, clear cutting, clear cutting area, ground cover.