<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
				
				<p> Norway spruce is one of the most widespread and economically important coniferous species in Europe and is also one of the tree species most mechanically sensitive to windthrow and consequently, is frequently damaged by storms. As height-to-diameter (HD) ratio has long been identified as an indicator of stand static stability, the main factors affecting the ratio in Norway spruce stands in the Western Carpathians were analysed to assess their general susceptibility to storm damage. A model was developed to assist forest managers in deciding on levels of thinning intensity for increasing the stability of such spruce stands, while still maintaining productivity. Data from the National Forest Inventory (260 plots) and previously existing research projects (48 plots) were used. Plots were distributed over the major part of the Western Carpathian range covering most variability in forest site factors. The final model incorporated the most relevant characteristics; those indicating ecological conditions: altitude and site index; and others related to stand properties: crown ratio, stand density, and mean stand height. The results indicated that intensive early thinnings must be applied, specifically on very rich sites at low altitudes, to decrease the HD ratio to a more stable range</p>
			</abstract>

Norway spruce is one of the most widespread and economically important coniferous species in Europe and is also one of the tree species most mechanically sensitive to windthrow and consequently, is frequently damaged by storms. As height-to-diameter (HD) ratio has long been identified as an indicator of stand static stability, the main factors affecting the ratio in Norway spruce stands in the Western Carpathians were analysed to assess their general susceptibility to storm damage. A model was developed to assist forest managers in deciding on levels of thinning intensity for increasing the stability of such spruce stands, while still maintaining productivity. Data from the National Forest Inventory (260 plots) and previously existing research projects (48 plots) were used. Plots were distributed over the major part of the Western Carpathian range covering most variability in forest site factors. The final model incorporated the most relevant characteristics; those indicating ecological conditions: altitude and site index; and others related to stand properties: crown ratio, stand density, and mean stand height. The results indicated that intensive early thinnings must be applied, specifically on very rich sites at low altitudes, to decrease the HD ratio to a more stable range

Modelling height to diameter ratio – an opportunity to increase Norway spruce stand stability in the Western Carpathians

National Forest Centre - Forest Research Institute Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 2175/22, SK – 960 92 Zvolen, Slovakia

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ – 165 21 Praha 6 – Suchdol, Czech Republic phone: +421 45 5314 306

National Forest Centre - Forest Research Institute Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 2175/22, SK - 960 92 Zvolen, Slovakia

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ - 165 21 Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic

UCD Forestry, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

Central European Forestry Journal

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Norway spruce is one of the most widespread and economically important coniferous species in Europe and is also one of the tree species most mechanically...

Modelling height to diameter ratio – an opportunity to increase Norway spruce stand stability in the Western Carpathians

Published Online: Jul 26, 2014

Page range: 71 - 80

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/forj-2014-0007

© by Michal Bošeľa

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.