Five year vitality changes in an old-growth Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) forest with a mixed and uneven-aged understorey

Abstract

A 5 year structure change within a mixed forest was examined with a special regard to tree vitality. The subject was a 700 m long by 20 m wide transect at the Kampinoski National Park (52° 15′N, 20° 50′E), in Poland. The stand consisted of old-growth Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) in the overstorey and an uneven-aged understorey with Scots pine, common oak ( Quercus robur), common silver birch ( Betula pendula), aspen ( Populus tremula) and common alder ( Alnus glutinosa). A stationary transition technique was used for the analysis. Non-significant changes in the overstorey density after the 5 year period accompanied radical vitality changes in the understorey, in which birch generally improved in vitality, whereas pine, oak, aspen and alder deteriorated in vitality. A long-term prognosis assumes prolonged existence of the two-generation forest, composed of the light-demanding species of both boreal and temperate zone, without human impact. Nomenclature follows Vaucher (1986).