Effect of the upper canopy and removal cutting on the height growth of the pine advance regeneration in Pila Forests

Abstract

The paper analyses the height growth and the of height increment of the 18 year−old pine advance regeneration under the shelter of varying canopy densities. A significant effect was found of the stocking of the parental stand on the growth of generation. The height increment increased in response to removal cutting (60% in the second year and 80% in the third year after treatment). In drought years, the greatest relative decrease in height growth of the young−growth stands (by ca 40−60%) occurred in the stands of the greatest canopy closure while it did not occur in the stands to which a removal cutting was applied immediately before the drought year