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INFLUENCE OF WIND-STORM ON FOREST COMPOSITION: CASE STUDY IN NORTH-WESTERN LATVIA

Edgars Dubrovskis

Abstract

Cyclonic wind storms will become increasingly more common in Europe, impacting the financial values of forests due to increasing risk as well as forest composition. Aim of our study was to characterize the impact of such a storm and post-storm regeneration in hemiboreal forests, Latvia, using data from State forests service and Latvian State Forests. Forest massive with notable influence of the storm of 2005 was selected ? in it altogether 2573 ha, i.e. 13.7% from the forest area was damaged. In most of the affected areas sanitary selective cut was done; in part ? sanitary clear-cut. Size for most (94%) of the clearcuts was 0.5-1; this has implications for the natural regeneration, especially, if considering, that the size of naturally-created openings are significantly larger than that currently allowed in the selective cuts (0.2 ha). There the share of spruce was higher in stands affected and clearcutted after the storm than in the overall forest composition. Analysis on part of the study are showed a significant differences in stand composition after the regeneration in areas of sanitary clear-cuts ? share of Norway spruce was increasing and that of Scots pine ? decreasing. Most of the areas affected by the storm were on forest types on dry mineral soil, suitable for both coniferous species. Choice of species for regeneration might be affected by browsing pressure ? in most (c.a. 70%) of the young Scots pine stands protection against cervids was needed. This situation will affect the influence of storms in future.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2018v/1.5/s03.085

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