Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15177/seefor.21-09
Assessment of How Natural Stand Structure for Narrow Endemic Cedrus brevifolia Henry Supports Silvicultural Treatments for Its Sustainable Management
Elias Milios
orcid.org/0000-0003-2056-5685
; Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Pantazidou 193, GR-68200 Orestiada, Greece
Petros Petrou
; Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Department of Forests, Loukis Akritas 26, CY-1414 Nicosia, Cyprus
Kyriakos Pytharidis
; Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Department of Forests, Loukis Akritas 26, CY-1414 Nicosia, Cyprus
Andreas K. Christou
; Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Department of Forests, Loukis Akritas 26, CY-1414 Nicosia, Cyprus
Nicolas-George H. Eliades
; Frederick University, Nature Conservation Unit, P.O. Box 24729, CY-1303 Nicosia, Cyprus
Abstract
Cedrus brevifolia Henry is a narrow endemic tree species of Cyprus flora. The objectives of this study are to develop silvicultural treatments for the conservation of the species formations based on the stand structure analysis of C. brevifolia natural forest and to present the characteristics of the first application of the treatments through silvicultural interventions. Six structural types were distinguished in C. brevifolia formations in the study area located in the state forest of Paphos. For each structural type, six circular plots of approximately 500 m2 were established. In each plot, various measurements and estimations were recorded. Then, silvicultural interventions were applied in the plots of the mixed C. brevifolia formations. In the formations of C. brevifolia a great number of trees grow in the understory. In the very productive and in the poorly productive sites C. brevifolia occurs only in pure formations. The basal area of C. brevifolia in pure formations ranges from 19.04 m2·ha-1 in poorly productive sites to 38.49 m2·ha-1 in fairly productive sites. Cedrus brevifolia is the most competitive species of the study area as a result of both shade tolerance and the wide range of its site sensitivity behavior. The climax of the study area are the pure stands of C. brevifolia having an understory of Quercus alnifolia Poech and a sparse occurrence of Pinus brutia Ten., mainly in moderately productive sites. Forest practice has to, as much as possible, unite species formations in order to create extensive areas of C. brevifolia formations.
Keywords
Cyprus; shade tolerance; site sensitivity; thinning; marking rules
Hrčak ID:
260498
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2021.
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