Photo by Leonhard Steinacker

unmanaged forests depending on stand structure and site conditions (W045)

Oak is a relevant tree species in Bavaria due to the economic as well as the nature conservational perspective especially in the background of its tolerance against drought events. Based on the property as a light indigent tree species oak is often limited in its ability to compete with other mixed tree species. In mixed stands it can make an important contribution to stabilize forests. The knowledge about the site-specific competitiveness compared to mixed tree species and its potentially necessary benefits isn´t sufficiently clarified.

The project aims to analyse the performance and competitiveness of oak in pure and mixed stands. By using a broad spectrum of site conditions, a management gradient (unmanaged and managed) and an extended structure gradient (mixed and pure stands) oak-specific silvicultural management guidelines should be derived.

Subgoal of the Project:

• Conduction of the site-specific height potential of oak in relation to its most important mixed tree species
• Analysis of the interactions between oak and the mixed tree species with regard to growth behavior and stand structure
• Analysis of site-specific development of natural and artificial oak regeneration in different light availability and species composites in regeneration
• Derivation of recommendations for cultivation and management of pure and mixed oak stands

• 16/10/2017 - 30/04/2021

• Kilian Stimm

• Bavarian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (StMELF)