Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ch.D.B. Hawkins Author-Workplace-Name: Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada Author-Workplace-Name: Yukon College, Yukon Research Centre, Whitehorse, Canada Author-Name: A. Dhar Author-Workplace-Name: Mixedwood Ecology and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada Title: Birch (Betula papyrifera) × white spruce (Picea glauca) interactions in mixedwood stands: implications for management Abstract: Current British Columbia forest regulations drive the regeneration management towards pure conifer stands rather than remaining in a mixed-species condition. This approach may result in unnecessary vegetation control. The main objective of this investigation was to study the impact of variable paper birch densities on white spruce growth in 15-20 years old stands for management implications. Regression analysis was used to examine the effect of birch density and two competition indices to predict spruce growth. A mixed model ANOVA showed that spruce mean annual DBH and basal area increment differed significantly among sites and density. From the regression analysis it appears that birch density up to 4,000 stems.ha-1 had no significant influence on spruce growth which is much higher than the current BC reforestation guideline (1,000 stems.ha-1 broadleaves). Similarly, birch relative density index (RDI) had to exceed 3 to affect spruce DBH growth significantly on all sites except one. On most sites, spruce had a larger DBH than birch. Our results also suggest that rather than following the current broadcast approach to vegetation management, a targeted approach could enhance forest productivity and stand diversity. Keywords: boreal forest, competition, mean annual DBH growth, productivity, relative density index (RDI), vegetation management Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 137-149 Volume: 59 Issue: 4 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/2/2013-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2/2013-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201304-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:59:y:2013:i:4:id:2-2013-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: K. Matějka Author-Workplace-Name: IDS, Prague Author-Name: J. Leugner Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Jíloviště-Strnady (Prague), Opočno Research Station, Opočno, Czech Republic Title: Growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karsten) from artificial and natural regeneration in the Krkonoše Mts. and air temperature variability Abstract: Our research was concerned with a description of the influence of variability in average temperatures on the height growth of selected young populations of spruce in the Krkonoše Mts. Several populations of spruce were evaluated while the majority of them originated by natural regeneration on plots under disturbance of the original tree layer. In addition, several planted spruce populations in similar environmental conditions were also evaluated. The main questions of this study are as follows: is there a difference in height growth between populations of natural and artificial origin? Is it possible to find a relationship between height growth and climate feature during the last several years? The growth of young spruce populations that originated by natural regeneration was different from the growth of the planted populations. The average air temperature in the growing period, estimated as average temperature during the months of May to August, was proved to have a significant influence on year-on-year variability in spruce growth. Based on this finding, it was possible to estimate an increase in the height increment of young spruce caused by warming up since the mid-70s of the 20th century to equal approximately 16% per decade in the spruce altitudinal zone in the Krkonoše Mts. Keywords: climate, regression models, 8th forest altitudal zone, reforestation Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 150-158 Volume: 59 Issue: 4 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/25/2012-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/25/2012-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201304-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:59:y:2013:i:4:id:25-2012-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: F. Pastorella Author-Workplace-Name: Agricultural Research Council, Villazzano di Trento, Italy Author-Name: A. Paletto Author-Workplace-Name: Agricultural Research Council, Villazzano di Trento, Italy Title: Stand structure indices as tools to support forest management: an application in Trentino forests (Italy) Abstract: Stand structure and species diversity are two useful parameters to provide a synthetic measure of forest biodiversity. The stand structure is spatial distribution, mutual position, diameter and height differentiation of trees in a forest ecosystem and it highly influences habitat and species diversity. The forest stand and species diversity can be measured through indices that provide important information to better address silvicultural practices and forest management strategies in the short and long-term period. These indices can be combined in a composite index in order to evaluate the complex diversity at the stand level. The aim of the paper is to identify and to test a complex index (S-index) allowing to take into account both the tree species composition and the stand structure. S-index was applied in a case study in the north-east of Italy (Trentino province). The results show that the Norway spruce forests in Trentino province are characterized by a medium-low level of complexity (S-index is in a range between 0.14 and 0.46) due to a low tree species composition rather than to the stand structure (diametric differentiation and spatial distribution of trees). Keywords: stand complexity, species diversity, diametric differentiation index, mingling index, contagion index, composite stand index Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 159-168 Volume: 59 Issue: 4 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/75/2012-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/75/2012-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201304-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:59:y:2013:i:4:id:75-2012-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Kováč Author-Workplace-Name: Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovak Republic Author-Name: J. Krilek Author-Workplace-Name: Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovak Republic Author-Name: J. Dvořák Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Natov Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Research on reliability of forest harvester operation used in the company Lesy Slovenskej Republiky Abstract: The paper deals with reliability of forest harvesters. They are quite modern and helpful in the process of tree felling. The quality of felling is important for the further quality of wood used in wood processing industry. The quality of machines is connected with time for which a machine is able to operate without any breaks caused by repairs and failures. Maintenance is the way how to realize and extend the time for reliability of machines used in felling. This research has shown how to decrease the costs of maintenance, time for its execution, manage the store of spare parts and finally increase profits of felling companies. The research has confirmed that the observation of reliability is very useful regarding the quality of maintenance and its costs. The importance of harvesters in the forest economy increases because it brings profit. Keywords: reliability, forest machines, maintenance, harvester Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 169-175 Volume: 59 Issue: 4 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/6/2013-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/6/2013-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201304-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:59:y:2013:i:4:id:6-2013-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: B. Schieber Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovak Republic Author-Name: R. Janík Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Z. Snopková Author-Workplace-Name: Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, Regional Centre, Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic Title: Phenology of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) along the altitudinal gradient in Slovakia (Inner Western Carpathians) Abstract: The onset and course of selected vegetative phenological phases of beech along the altitudinal gradient in Slovak Republic were studied. Observations were done in the Burda Mts. (200-300 m a.s.l.), Kremnické vrchy Mts. (500 m a.s.l.) and in the Poľana Mts. (900-1,000 m a.s.l., 1,200-1,400 m a.s.l.). Selected spring phenological phases (budburst and leaf unfolding) as well as autumn phenological phases (autumn colouring and leaf fall) were investigated over the period of 5 years (2007-2011). The earliest onset of spring phenological phases during the period of study was found at the lowest-lying sites in the Burda Mts. By contrast, the latest one was observed at the uppermost site in the Poľana Mts. The dynamics of autumn phenological phases had the opposite course compared to spring phenophases. The earliest onset, observed in the uppermost locality in the Poľana Mts., was gradually delayed with decreasing altitude. The phenological gradient, expressing a shift in the onset of spring phenophases along the gradient, reached the mean values of 2.83-3.00 days per 100 m of an increase in altitude. In the case of autumn phenological phases the gradient ranged from -1.00 to -1.78 days per 100 m. On average, the growing season of beech lasted from 128 to 181 days along the altitudinal gradient. Significant correlations (P < 0.001) were calculated between the date of the onset of phenophases and altitude. Keywords: beech forests, phenological phases, altitude, Burda Mts., Kremnické vrchy Mts., Poľana Mts Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 176-184 Volume: 59 Issue: 4 Year: 2013 DOI: 10.17221/82/2012-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/82/2012-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201304-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:59:y:2013:i:4:id:82-2012-JFS