Long‐term prediction of forest sustainability of the natural deciduous forest in Pyungchang area of Gangwon province, Korea

Abstract

Sustainable forest management is critical to the development of the forestry sector. Silvicultural treatments are the important tools to manipulate the ecosystem for the sustainability. This study was aimed to predict the timber yields for next 30 years considering the three different silivicultural systems in the natural deciduous forests in Pyungchang Area of Gangwon Province, Korea. It was measured that the number of trees per hectare (N/ha), basal area per hectare (BA/ha) and volume per hectare (V/ha) of the trees in the high elevation, were higher than those in the low elevation stands under all the three silvicultural systems, i.e., selection cutting, two‐storied and shelterwood system. The number and volume of trees in the high elevation was highest than that of low elevation irrespective of silvicultural systems. The volume of trees in the high elevation stands were found highest in the shelterwood system as 155 m3/ha followed by 144 m3/ha in the selection cutting system and 110 m3/ha in the two‐storied system; whereas in the low elevation, the highest volume was found in the selection cutting system as 129 m3/ha followed by shelterwood system, 104 m3/ha and 101 m3/ha in the two‐storied systems. Natural regeneration of the tree species was highest in low elevation for the selection cutting system; whereas it was highest in the high elevation for two‐storied and shelterwood system. Cornus controversa Hemsl. in the High elevation and Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance in the low elevation were found as the frequent tree species regenerated and established for all the silvicultural system. Selection cutting system was predicted as the suitable silvicultural system for the both high and low elevation stands yielding as 286 m3/ha and 344m 3/ha, respectively. The findings of the study may be important tools for the sustainable forest management in Korea.