Beskydy 2014, 7, 107-114
Assessment of the Norway spruce plantation growth on a mountain forest site disturbed by windrowing and ameliorated by green alder
Mechanized windrowing in the top region of the Orlické hory Mts. has disturbed hundreds of hectares of immission clearcuts during eighties. The soil surface on the Velká Deštná Mountain was disturbed in 1987. One year later the Forest Research Station at Opočno established on this place the long-term research plot. Degree and extent of soil surface disturbance were recorded. Besides other experiments, the experimental Norway spruce plantation was established on three strips: control strip, strip treated by fertilizers or limestone (1991), and strip ameliorated by Alnus viridis plantation (1992). The effect of site degradation by mechanized windrowing has been indicated by young spruce growth for a long time period. The assessment of 17 years old spruce growth on the control strip shows significantly greater height increment on negligibly disturbed sites comparing to that on remarkably and very remarkably disturbed sites. Amelioration of spruce trees brings perspective outcomes on the strip biologically amended by Alnus viridis. High atmospheric depositions especially of nitrogen compounds, fungal disease by Ascocalyx abietina, climatic fluctuations, and high values of groundlevel ozone have brought new problems into spruce plantation performance since 1999. Nevertheless, it has been more substantially reduced by green alder.
Keywords
site preparation, mechanized windrowing, soil disturbance, biological amelioration, green alder, Norway spruce, plantation growth, Orlické hory Mts..
