Growth of advanced European beech trees in the transformation phase in the southern Black Forest
The main aim of the research in this study is to explore crown release and its effects on the growth of European beech as a tool to aid the transformation of stands in the southern Black Forest. The research hypothesis, which spawned from this, covered the three main tree growth attributes; basal area, height and crown width, and their importance to gap closure simulation. Although some of the specifics of the analyses are lost when generalizations are made, taken all together, the results suggest the following broad conclusions: the basal area increment of advanced aged European beech can be increased by up to 100% by heavy crown release; the height increment of advanced aged European beech is little affected by crown release and on average, branches growing in gaps have an annual lateral expansion rate 3 cm greater than branches not grown in gaps.
Kronenfreistellung, European beech, transformation, crown release
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