In 2010, section 13 in the Trnovo forestry unit was thinned with a machine logging technology. After ten years, we assessed the characteristics of the gaps in the stand canopy that formed after thinning in beech pole stand. We measured tree canopy widths at the edges of the gaps created after thinning and analyzed the gaps based on laser scanning data from 2015 and orthophotos from 2020. Based on orthophotos, it was not possible to reliably determine the gap closure. From field measurements of canopy size, we conclude that trees develop an uneven canopy shape at the edges of the gap. As many as 53% of the trees in the sample had an asymmetrical canopy, averaging 56% wider toward the gap. This can lead to a greater risk of tree damage and formation of defects such as curved and oval trunks, multi-peakedness and eccentricity in the heart of tree.
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