FEATURES OF ADVANCE REGENERATION OF ECONOMICALLY VALUABLE SPECIES UNDER THE CANOPY OF NATURAL OAK STANDS IN FRESH AND MOIST MAPLE-LIME FAIRLY FERTILE OAK FOREST TYPE IN THE LEFT-BANK FOREST-STEPPE PART OF THE SUMY REGION

Abstract

The paper presents the data on the number of advance growth of economically valuable species under the canopy of natural oak stands of different age (60–140 years). The study was carried out in the conditions of fresh and moist maple-lime fairly fertile oak forest type in the forest-steppe part of the Sumy region. The species composition, age, quality and occurrence were determined in this study. The evaluation was given for the regeneration success. After a seed year, a mass oak sprouting of economically valuable species, particularly of oak, was observed in maple-lime fairly fertile oak forests of the region. The sprouts were evenly spaced in the area. In the conditions of fresh maple-lime oak forest type, the total of regeneration varied from 11.1 to 17.4 thousand stems per ha, including oak from 2.3 to 10.3 thousand stems per ha. In the conditions of moist maple-lime oak forest type, the total regeneration was slightly smaller (from 9.1 to 13.7 thousand stems per ha) compared with fresh oak forest type, including oak 1.9–4.6 thousand stems per ha. The advance regeneration was characterized as «insufficient» and «satisfactory». To promote natural seed regeneration of oak forests, activities are proposed.