The quality of beech timber was evaluated in two study objects in mountain beech forests in Zasavje using three different methods of timber assortment assessment. We compared the timber assortment structure assessed with three methods: i) the assessment on standing trees, ii) the assessment on harvested trees, and iii) the assessment on harvested and bucked trees. We evaluated a total of 35 beeches and 14 spruces. In all three methods of assortment assessment, we followed the Rules on the measurement and classification off rest wood assortments from forests owned by the Republic of Slovenia (2017). The best assortment structure of beech was obtained by the method of assessing the quality of standing trees, which is probably due to the inability to detect internal defects, such as the red heart. In both study objects, logs of veneer quality (quality class A) were not recorded, also very few logs of quality class B were registered, slightly more were of quality categories C and D, fuel wood prevailed in both study objects. Such assortment is probably due to the lack of silvicultural measures in young stands and high age of both stands. The quality of beech timber can be increased by time by felling and adequate silvicultural measures, but finally the appropriate bucking of harvested beech trees is crucial.
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