Effects of site conditions and methods of cultivation on growth of sawtooth oak plantations

Abstract

The effects of site conditions and cultivation on the growth of sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima Carr.) plantations were evaluated at the Hongyashan forest farm, in Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, China. The results indicate that the position on the slope, the amount of gravel and the thickness of the soil were important factors in the growth of the sawtooth oak. Lower slope positions with small amounts of gravel and a thick soil were better for the growth of this species than middle slope positions with more gravel and a thin soil. Given the site conditions of the hilly and mountainous areas in Chuzhou City, the mixed Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook.) and sawtooth oak forests did not improve forest productivity compared with pure sawtooth oak forests. Both urea and compound fertilizers promoted the growth of sawtooth oak, as did site preparation and intercropping. Two years after planting, the height growth of ordinary seedlings with a starting height of 0.6 m was higher than that of supper seedlings with a starting height of 1.0 m. Compared with planting, the early growth of the coppices was faster, but the later growth of the coppices was slower.