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Abstract(s)
The coppice is a very flexible cultural system producing several calibers adapting to the
demands of the market. Small-caliber roundwood from sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa
Mill.) coppices, formerly in great demand, is now less interesting for the market. Thus, the
improvement of coppices management by applying alternative silvicultural models in order
to obtain benefits and sustainability is essential. For this purpose, four permanent plots
(P1–P4) were established in 1994 to monitor different coppice management systems. The
plots were installed in a coppice which resulted from the final clear cut of a sweet chestnut
high-forest stand in 1992, at 50 years old. Three silvicultural management models were
tested in order to produce roundwood of small (P1), medium (P2), and large (P4) diameters.
A control plot was established without any type of silviculture which corresponds to
most of the existing chestnut coppices (P3 = without intervention). Thinnings were applied
in the plots according to the respective management model. Twenty-four years after the
sprouting of the coppice, the silvicultural models were evaluated according to their objectives
in terms of growth, yield, and quality of the sawlogs. This assessment period corresponds
to the end of the rotation period for P1, and the results are in accordance with
expected values. In P2 and P4 the observed growth closely matches expectations for this
growth stage of the coppice. The quality of the sawlogs is clearly superior to that of the
plot without intervention. Comparing the mean dendrometric values, higher values were
observed in plots where the models were applied. The results also show that when roundwood
is used for saw-timber, silvicultural management is essential.
Description
Keywords
Castanea sativa Mill Chestnut coppice H–D equations Silviculture Timber production Volume equations
Citation
Patrício, Maria Sameiro; Nunes, Luís; Monteiro, Maria Loreto (2019). Does the application of silvicultural management models drive the growth and stem quality of sweet chestnut coppices towards sustainability?. New Forests. ISSN 0169-4286. 51:4, p. 615-630