In two study sites in the submountain European beech forests in the Zasavje region, tending was carried out in the regeneration and thicket stands and the effects of the silvicultural treatment on the height and diameter growth of individual trees of different tree species were explored. The study sites consisted of 10 plots in the regeneration and 32 plots (25 m2 each) in the thicket, in 2021 half of the plots in both study sites were treated with tending. In the thicket, we measured height and diameter increments of 160 trees for three consecutive years, while in the regeneration only height increments of 90 trees of different tree species were measured for three consecutive years. We found statistically significant differences in the height increment between treated and untreated trees in the regeneration and in the thicket. Treated trees increased their height increment to a greater extent than the untreated trees. Tree species responded differently to the tending measures, and statistically significant differences in the height increment were found between species. In the regeneration, the highest height increments were recorded for beech, while in the thicket wild cherry exhibited the highest height increment. The treated trees showed the highest height increments in the second year after treatment. For trees in the thicket, we found no statistically significant differences in the diameter growth between the treated and untreated trees. We have shown that the tending treatment has a significant effect on height growth of trees, which is important knowledge for the proper management of forest stands.
|
