Abstract
Forest managers are often required to restore forest stands following natural disturbances, a situation that may become more common and more challenging under global change. In parts of Central Europe, particularly in mountain regions dominated by mixed temperate forests, the use of relatively low intensity, uneven-aged silviculture is a common management approach. Because this type of management is based on mimicking less intense disturbances, the restoration of more severe disturbance patches within forested landscapes has received little attention. The goal of this paper is to synthesize research on the restoration of forests damaged by disturbances in temperate forests of Slovenia and neighbouring regions of Central Europe, where uneven-aged silviculture is practiced. Research indicates that active management aimed at favouring mixed uneven-aged forest reduces the risk of disturbance and improves the resilience of stands. Salvage logging may have positive or negative effects on regeneration, much of which is due to the method applied and the quality of work. The most prominent factors that negatively affect restoration are: lack of advanced regeneration and decomposed woody debris, high altitude, steep slopes, dense ground vegetation, and overbrowsing. Planting or sowing should be applied in post-disturbance forests where many negative factors interact and where a high demand for sustainability of forest ecosystem services is present.
Highlights
The resistance and resilience of forest stands to disturbance are strongly influenced by forest management and the type of silvicultural system used
Salvage logging is a routine practice after natural disturbance in Slovenia and elsewhere in Central Europe
The impact of salvage logging on erosion and regeneration is strongly associated with the type of harvesting and the allowed procedures during the salvage
Summary
The resistance and resilience of forest stands to disturbance are strongly influenced by forest management and the type of silvicultural system used. In continental Europe, this type of management, based on a liberal selection of felling regimes within the context of the aforementioned systems, is often called close-to-nature silviculture [9,10] It has traditionally been used in many alpine countries, in Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, and parts of Germany [11,12,13], and more recently its use has become more widespread [14]. Recent large-scale natural disturbances have been reported for Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia [30,31,32,33,34] These disturbances triggered a series of studies that provide guidelines for post-disturbance restoration in temperate uneven-aged forest landscapes [35,36,37,38]. We provide guidelines for restoration silviculture in uneven-aged forest landscapes, indicate open research questions, and discuss future challenges for uneven-aged silviculture amid environmental changes
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