The aim of our study was to analyse snow damage in beech stands in Slovenia. 22.609 compartments with at least 10 % of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) in the total growing stock were included in the research. Amount, structure and frequency of snow breakages in beech forests were compared to damage due to other disturbance agents, namely wind and ice, while factors influencing the occurrence of snow damage were analysed in the second part of the study. The largest share in the sanitary felling accounted to windthrows, followed by snow and ice damage. Conifers were relatively more damaged compared to deciduous species by snow and wind, yet their proportions in ice damage were similar. The majority of damage occured in trees of younger and middle-aged developmental stages. Three climatic, four stand and five site variables have been tested in the binary logistic regression model. Statistically significant predictors were the sum of snow cover in spring months (March, April, May), phytogeographical region, rockiness, slope inclination, and bedrock. The probability of occurrence of snow damage increases with the increasing amount of snow in spring months, with increasing slope inclination, and with decreasing rockiness. The probability of snow damage occurrence in beech forests, at the constant amount of snow, was 4,2-times higher in the predinaric region, 3,4-times higher in dinaric region and 1,9-times higher in the prealpine phytogeographical region if compared to the alpine phytogeographical region. Beech was found as less susceptible to snow damage compared to spruce, therefore the reasons for relatively high sanitary fellings can partly be explained by alterations in forests due to the admixture of spruce. In terms of stands' mechanical stability, thinnings ought to be of lower intensities and carried out in shorter intervals.
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