Unit
Silviculture
The Unit of Silviculture studies the development of natural regeneration under various conditions. The monitoring of seed fall, germeability and plant growth enables the development of optimized concepts for natural regeneration of stands. Development of methods where only a small part of the area is replanted with groups of plants in order to optimise the establishment of valuable hardwood stands (“plot-culture”). Also, concepts are elaborated for efficient stand tending, especially in mixed stands.
Priority Areas of Work
- Natural regeneration
- Techniques for stand establishment
- Forest tending and tending methods
- Different types of thinning in oak stands
Tasks and Activities
- Design and maintenance of observation plots to investigate issues related to silviculture such as the improvement of valuable hardwood including broadleaved-conifer-mixtures and mixed stands with hardwood
- Design, layout and maintenance of permanent observation plots at forest timberline sites for the assessment of regeneration dynamics and protective functions
- Monitoring of seed fall, germeability and development of natural regeneration
- Studies on natural regeneration including browsing stress on a wind throw on cleared and not cleared sites
- Analysis of the effects of pruning on timber quality (wood stain, wound reaction)