The impact of forest site types on the stand volume of forest-forming species of the steppe Dnieper region of Ukraine
Journal Title: Лісівництво і агролісомеліорація - Year 2015, Vol 126, Issue
Abstract
A large area and differences in site types of steppe zone lead to a wide range of habitat conditions and their climatic characteristics. Therefore, for reforestation and afforestation in the Steppe, the forest site types should be carefully considered. Actual target of forest ecosystems studies is to establish the features of forming of forest stands having maximum productivity and to determine the effect of abiotic factors on biomass accumulation processes. The aim of this paper is to analyse the age structure and determine a relationship between average wood volume of Pinus sylvestris and Robinia pseudoacacia and forest site conditions (nutrient status and soil moistening). The study was carred out in Scots pine and black locust plantations of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Department of Forestry and Hunting. The largest area of black locust stands is in fairly fertile site type – 9596.5 ha (54.3 %); 53.1 % of the total wood volume are concentrated in this condition. In fertile site type Robinia pseudoacacia stands occupy more than a third of the area – 6732.2 ha (38.1 %) with total wood volume of 40.8 %. The smallest area of this species (139.8 ha or 0.8 %) is concentrated in infertile pine site type – in the poorest soil conditions. Calculated values of the average wood volume for black locust of different age classes in various soil nutrient status demonstrated the difference the studied parameters. The maximum values of average wood volume in trophotops account for 180 m³ per ha in infertile pine site type; 202 m³ per ha in fairly infertile pine site type; 178,9 m³ per ha in fairly fertile site type; 180 m³ per ha in fertile site type. These data demonstrate no difference in maximum values of the average wood volume between the poorest soil conditions and the most fertile ones. The decrease of the studied parameter is marked after black locust has attained the age of 75 years (in fairly fertile site type), 70 (in infertile pine site type), 65 (in fairly infertile pine site type and in fertile site type). Unlike black locust, ⅔ of Scots pine stands are concentrated in fairly infertile pine site type with total wood volume of 3017.66 ths m3. It was mentioned that Scots pine formed the stands in fertile site type in the smallest amount (1.2 %). In pine plantations, with increasing soil fertility from infertile pine site type to fertile site type, an increase of the average wood voolume is noted. This parameter is higher in fertile site type compared to infertile pine site type by 27.5 %. The highest average pine wood volume is marked for stands of 8th age class in infertile and fairly infertile pine site types and for stands of 7th age class in a fairly fertile site type. It is reported that in fertile site type the tendency to gradual increase of wood volume directly to the oldest 9th age class is saved. The dependence of average wood volume from moisture conditions (hygrotop) is found. Average wood volume in the condition of fresh hygrotop is 181.6 % in relation to black locust’s volume produced in very dry hihrotop. A similar trend is found for other studied species – Scots pine, with a fixed 3 times prevalence of average volume in fresh and moist site type conditions compared to very dry ones. There is an increase in average wood volume of even-aged stands of pine and black locust with changing moisture conditions. However, in wet conditions, almost three times decrease of values of analyzed parameter is noted for pine. In the age of 50 years old in condition of considerable moistening the black locust stands reach the maximum productivity (193.9 m3 per ha). Scots pine reached the maximum average wood volume (323 and 313 m3 per ha) in fresh site conditions in the 7th and 8th age class. It is determined that for Scots pine as for black locust, soil moist conditions have a significant impact on yield of wood volume per hectare. In soils of different moistening types, on reaching fifty years old for black locust stands and eighty years old for Scots pine, the trend of increase of the value is not established. With transformation from optimal to worst soil moisture conditions there is the rapid reduction of shoot, needle and leaves forming ability in the studied species, as well as of crown density, sizes of some specients and their resistance.
Authors and Affiliations
S. Sytnyk, V. M. Lovinska
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