The Identification of the Abundance of European Larch Trees in Polish Forests

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify the abundance of European larch trees in Polish forests, taking into account the size of areas and their location. A dendrometric analysis (volume, age of trees) was performed as a source of knowledge on the availability of the raw material base as a response to the production needs of wood products in Poland. The detailed data were made available in 2023 by the Directorate General of State Forests on the basis of a license specifying the conditions of use of the vector record of the forest numerical map and appraisal description data. European larch trees are in areas all around Poland. They grow throughout the country, with most stands located in the southern and northern parts of Poland. Stands with a dominant share of larch in the species composition (i.e., those that are part of trees stands with a minimum area of 0.1 ha) occupy 44,813 ha and occur in 17,553 stand divisions. The analysis of productivity showed that the average height of larch stands in Poland ranges from 5 m to 45 m. Tree stands are predominately 26–30 m in height. Most stands with trees over 30 m high are located in the RDFS Krosno (over 15% of the entire forest area with larch as the dominant species). European larch stands in Poland are characterized by significant differences in the average DBH. They are correlated with the age of the stands.