Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Short-term effects of cleaning-respacing in a silver fir-dominated stand in Romania

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Forestry Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper discusses the early silviculture of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), a major softwood in Romania covering more than 294,000 ha. Three research plots (DRP1, DRP2 and DRP3) were established in a 25-year-old silver fir-dominated stand in May 2012. In DRP1 and DRP2, heavy cleaning-respacing were carried out while DRP3 was kept as a control. After the treatments in 2012, the plots had stocking between 1470 trees ha−1 (DRP2) and 10,030 trees ha−1 (DRP3), basal areas between 11.8 m2 ha−1 (DRP2) and 31.6 m2 ha−1 (DRP3). The average diameters were between 5.7 cm (DRP3) and 9.6 cm (DRP2). Measurements in September 2016 confirmed the rapid response of silver fir to cleaning-respacing. The best results in average diameter increments and basal area between 2012 and 2016 were in DRP2: 3.7 cm (36.4%) and 7.7 m2 ha−1 (85.0%) respectively. The largest diameter trees in 2012 were the best growers, and a strong linear correlation between the initial diameter of the remaining trees and their increment was established. Natural dieback of trees occurred only in DRP3 (8.6%). The selection of crop trees based on the vigour, quality, and spacing criteria during cleaning-respacing was possible as individuals stood out in terms of vigour and early diameter growth. An issue encountered in DRP1 and DRP2 was the occurrence of epicormic shoots, especially on less vigorous individuals with small crowns. However, four years after cleaning-respacing, these branches are small and do not significantly affect the wood quality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allegrini Ch (2010) Choosing future crop trees. Forêts de France 531:33–34 (in French)

    Google Scholar 

  • Allegrini C, Depierre A (coord.) (2000) Selection of future crop trees. Thise: CRPF de Franche-Comté, ONF, Besancon (in French)

  • Anonymous (2008) Management plan of working unit I Nemira, LIGNUM Forest District. EcoForest, București (in Romanian)

  • Barbu CO (2012) Impact of white mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. abietis) infection on needles and crown morphology of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici 40(2):152–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbu I, Curcă M, Barbu C, Ichim V (2016) Adaptation of Romanian forests to climate change. Editura Silvică, Voluntari (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bastien Y (2000) Silviculture of softwood species. Ecole Nationale du Génie Rural, des Eaux et des Forêts, Centre de Nancy, Nancy (in French)

  • Bastien Y (2001) Future crop trees. Artificial pruning. Ecole Nationale du Génie Rural, des Eaux et des Forêts, Centre de Nancy, Nancy (in French)

  • Bončina A, Ficko A, Klopčič M, Matijašić D, Poljanec A (2009) Management of silver fir in Slovenia. Zbornik gosdarstva lesarstva 90:43–56 (in Slovenian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brus DJ, Hengeveld GM, Walvoort DJJ, Goedhart PW, Heidema AH, Nabuurs GJ, Gunia K (2012) Statistical mapping of tree species over Europe. Eur J For Res 131(1):145–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CMDPA (1986) Technical norms for tending operations 2. Centrul de material didactic şi propagandă agricolă, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Constantinescu N (1976) Tending of forest stands, vol II. Editura Ceres, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Demarcq P, Bastien Y, Gauquelin X, Lacombe E, Remoussard P (1996) Silviculture of silver fir. Bull Tech ONF 31:71–78 (in French)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gazol A, Camarero JJ, Gutiérrez E, Popa I, Andreu-Hayles L, Motta R, Nola P, Ribas M, Sangüesa-Barreda G, Urbinati C, Carrer M (2015) Distinct effects of climate warming on populations of silver fir (Abies alba) across Europe. J Biogeogr 42(6):1150–1162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Georgescu CC, Petrescu M, Ene M, Ștefănescu M, Miron V (1957) Forest diseases and pests. Biology and control. București, Editura Agro-Silvică de Stat (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbertson RL, Ryvarden L (1987) North American Polypores, vol 2. Fungiflora, Oslo, p 885

    Google Scholar 

  • Giurgiu V (1967) Study of growth in forest stands. Editura Agro-Silvică, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Giurgiu V, Drăghiciu D (2004) Mathematic-auxological models and yield tables for forest stands. Editura Ceres, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Haralamb A (1967) Culture of forest species, 3rd edn. Editura Agro-Silvică, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemery G, Simblet S (2014) The new silva. a discourse of forest & Orchard trees for the twenty-first century. Bloomsbury, London, New Delhi, New York, Sydney

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelty MJ (1992) Comparative productivity of monocultures and mixed-species stands. In: Kelty MJ, Larson BC, Oliver CD (eds) The ecology and silviculture of mixed-species forests. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London, pp 125–141

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kerr G, Stokes V, Peace A, Jinks R (2015) Effects of provenance on the survival, growth and stem form of European silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in Britain. Eur J For Res 134:349–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lebourgeois F, Gomez N, Pinto P, Mérian P (2013) Mixed stands reduce Abies alba tree-ring sensitivity to summer drought in the Vosges mountains, western Europe. For Ecol Manag 303:61–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linares JC, Camarero JJ (2012) Growth patterns and sensitivity to climate predict silver fir decline in the Spanish Pyrenees. Eur J For Res 131:1001–1012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MAPPM (2000a) Technical norms for tending operations 2. Ministerul Apelor, Pădurilor şi Protecţiei Mediului, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • MAPPM (2000b) Technical norms for the choice and application of silvicultural systems 3. Ministerul Apelor, Pădurilor şi Protecţiei Mediului, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcu O (2005) Forest Phytopathology. Editura Silvodel, Brașov (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mauri A, de Rigo D, Caudullo G (2016) Abies alba in Europe: distribution habitat usage and threats. In: San-Miguel-Ayanz J, de Rigo D, Caudullo G, Houston Durrant T, Mauri A (eds) European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. Publication Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, pp 48–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazza G, Gallucci V, Manetti MC, Urbinati C (2014) Climate-growth relationship of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in marginal populations of Central Italy. Dendrochronologia 32:181–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meier AR, Saunders MM, Michler CH (2012) Epicormic buds in trees: a review of bud establishment, development and dormancy release. Tree Physiol 32:565–584

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Negulescu E, Săvulescu A (1957) Dendrology. Editura Agro-Silvică de Stat, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Negulescu EG, Săvulescu A (1965) Dendrology, 2nd edn. Editura Agro-Silvică, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliva J, Colinas C (2007) Decline of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) stands in the Spanish Pyrenees: role of management, historic dynamics and pathogens. For Ecol Manag 252:84–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrescu L (1971) Guidelines for tending of forest stands. Editura Ceres, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pretzsch H, Biber P, Uhl E, Dauber E (2015) Long-term stand dynamics of managed spruce-fir-beech mountain forests in Central Europe: structure, productivity and regeneration success. Forestry 88:407–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rameau JC, Mansion D, Dumé G, Timbal J, Lecointe A, Dupont P, Keller R (1989) French Forest Flora. 1 Plains and hills. Institut pour le développement forestier, Paris, Ecole nationale du génie rural, des eaux et des forêts, Nancy (in French)

  • Riou-Nivert P (1996) Conifers: cognition and recognition, vol I. Institut pour le développement forestier, Paris (in French)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sangüesa-Barreda G, Camarero JJ, Oliva J, Montes F, Gazol A (2015) Past logging, drought and pathogens interact and contribute to forest dieback. Agric For Meteorol 208:85–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savill P (2013) The silviculture of trees used in British forestry, 2nd edn. CABI, Wallingford and Boston, p 280

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Șofletea N, Curtu L (2007) Dendrology. Editura Universității “Transilvania”, Brașov (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Solla A, Sánchez-Miranda A, Camarero JJ (2006) Radial-growth and wood anatomical changes in Abies alba infected by Melampsorella caryophyllacearum: a dendroecological assessment of fungal damage. Ann For Sci 63:293–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stănescu V (1979) Dendrology. Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Stănescu V, Șofletea N, Popescu O (1997) Woody forest flora of Romania. Editura Ceres, București (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • StatSoft Inc (2004) STATISTICA (data analysis software system), version 7. www.statsoft.com

  • Vallet P, Pérot T (2011) Silver fir stand productivity is enhanced when mixed with Norway spruce: evidence based on large-scale inventory data and a generic modelling approach. J Veg Sci 22:932–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Gadow KV, Hui GY (1999) Modelling forest development. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London, p 213

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Vospernik S, Sterba H (2015) Do competition-density rule and self-thinning rule agree? Ann For Sci 72:379–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf H (2003) EUFORGEN Technical Guidelines for genetic conservation and use for silver fir (Abies alba). International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, p 6

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Aurica Pătrăucean (LIGNUM Forest District) and numerous undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering (Brasov) for the field work. We also wish to express our thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive criticisms.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transylvania University of Brașov, Șirul Beethoven 1, 500123, Brașov, Romania

    Valeriu-Norocel Nicolescu, Matei-Nicolae Ciolan, Monica-Elena Barti & Edina Borbely

  2. Faculty of Horticulture and Forestry, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania” from Timișoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645, Timișoara, Romania

    Cornelia Hernea

  3. Bârzava Forest District, 317030, Bârzava, Arad, Romania

    Diana-Cristina Șimon

  4. LIGNUM Forest District, 605300, Dărmănești, Bacău, Romania

    Hendrik Schubert

Authors
  1. Valeriu-Norocel Nicolescu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cornelia Hernea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Diana-Cristina Șimon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Matei-Nicolae Ciolan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Monica-Elena Barti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hendrik Schubert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Edina Borbely
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cornelia Hernea.

Additional information

Project funding: The work was not funded publicly or privately but carried out free-of-charge by a group of university people and practitioners willing to use the outputs for D&R purposes with small and large private forest owners.

The online version is available at http://www.springerlink.com

Corresponding editor: Tao Xu.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 1560 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nicolescu, VN., Hernea, C., Șimon, DC. et al. Short-term effects of cleaning-respacing in a silver fir-dominated stand in Romania. J. For. Res. 29, 1591–1599 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0567-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0567-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation