Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in the Polish part of the Carpathians is one of the major forest tree species, and it covers 25.3% of the forest area of this region,… Click to show full abstract
Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in the Polish part of the Carpathians is one of the major forest tree species, and it covers 25.3% of the forest area of this region, while the remaining major tree species – fir (Abies alba Mill.), spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.), and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) take up 25%, 21.7%, and 17%, respectively (TRAMPLER et al. 1990). The beech stands in the Carpathians between 1950 and 1990 were regenerated using the uniform shelterwood system, the most popular cutting method in the mountainous area of the Polish Carpathians. In the early 1980s this type of cutting was used on about 85% of the area of regenerated stands. Generally, the results of this method, with a 15–25-year regeneration period, were satisfactory. Undergrowth of good structure and stocking was obtained permitting beech stands of good quality to form. However, this created even-aged, one-storied stands where a large amount of small products (SCHUTZ 2001) was harvested during costly tending operations, lowering the economic efficiency of forest management (AMMON 1995). The uniform shelterwood system, due to natural regeneration, decreased silvicultural risk. However, it did not eliminate such a risk (BERNADZKI 1995) due to a short regeneration period and large regenerated areas.
               
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