Abstract
We examined the growth and quality of young oaks in stands established at three different spacings. The three densities were the traditional level, that is, 8000 seedlings ha−1 (1.5 × 0.85 m) plus two where the initial density was decreased by 50% and 70%, achieved by increasing the distance between the rows from 1.5 to 3 or 4.5 m. The experiment was located in central Poland on a moderately fertile site. In the two wider spacings, the intention was to use natural regeneration occurring between oak rows as a replacement of intraspecific competition for oaks. The mean height was only affected in the third and the fourth year after establishment. Subsequently, the differences between spacings with respect to both growth and quality traits were insignificant and small. At lower densities, natural regeneration of willow and aspen was abundant and inter-species competition replaced intra-species competition, thus explaining the absence of a spacing effect on growth and quality properties. In the study period, the wider spacings were economically beneficial compared to traditional densities. A strong competition affecting height growth caused by natural regeneration necessitated extensive tendings. More tendings are likely to be needed in the future and they might reduce the initial economical superiority of wider spacing. The study indicates that it is possible to decrease the initial spacing in oak plantations and simultaneously support good growing conditions by means of natural processes, for example, natural regeneration. However, economic efficiency of the method has to be studied in a longer perspective.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Oak mean height was affected by spacing only in the third and fourth years after establishment.
- Taxon
- sessile oak
Quercus petraeat0 - Treatment
- spacingt0
- Outcome
- mean heighte0
- Qualifier
- third and the fourth year after establishmente0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The mean height was only affected in the third and the fourth year after establishment”
t0“Effect of spacing on growth and quality parameters in sessile oak (Quercus petraea)”
Claim · model-written summary
Later spacing differences in oak growth and quality traits were small and insignificant.
- Taxon
- sessile oakQuercus petraeat0
- Treatment
- spacingse0
- Outcome
- growth and quality traitse0
- Direction
- insignificant and smalle0
- Comparator
- between spacingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Subsequently, the differences between spacings with respect to both growth and quality traits were insignificant and small”
t0“sessile oak (Quercus petraea)”
Claim · model-written summary
Willow and aspen regeneration was abundant at lower oak planting densities.
- Taxon
- sessile oakQuercus petraeat0
- Interactor
- willow and aspene0weed
- Outcome
- natural regeneration of willow and aspene0
- Direction
- abundante0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“At lower densities, natural regeneration of willow and aspen was abundant”
t0“sessile oak (Quercus petraea)”
Claim · model-written summary
At lower oak densities, interspecies competition from regeneration replaced intraspecies competition and explained the absent growth and quality response to spacing.
- Taxon
- sessile oakQuercus petraeat0
- Outcome
- growth and quality propertiese0
- Qualifier
- inter-species competition replaced intra-species competitione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“inter-species competition replaced intra-species competition, thus explaining the absence of a spacing effect on growth and quality properties”
t0“sessile oak (Quercus petraea)”
Claim · model-written summary
Wider oak spacings were economically beneficial compared with traditional densities during the study period.
- Taxon
- sessile oakQuercus petraeat0
- Treatment
- wider spacingse0
- Outcome
- economically beneficiale0
- Direction
- beneficiale0
- Comparator
- traditional densitiese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the study period, the wider spacings were economically beneficial compared to traditional densities”
t0“sessile oak (Quercus petraea)”
Claim · model-written summary
Competition from natural regeneration affecting oak height growth required extensive tending.
- Taxon
- sessile oakQuercus petraeat0
- Interactor
- natural regeneratione0weed
- Outcome
- height growthe0
- Qualifier
- extensive tendingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A strong competition affecting height growth caused by natural regeneration necessitated extensive tendings”
t0“sessile oak (Quercus petraea)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors expect more future tending, which might reduce the initial economic advantage of wider oak spacing.
- Taxon
- sessile oakQuercus petraeat0
- Outcome
- More tendingse0
- Qualifier
- might reduce the initial economical superiority of wider spacinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“More tendings are likely to be needed in the future and they might reduce the initial economical superiority of wider spacing”
t0“sessile oak (Quercus petraea)”
Claim · model-written summary
The study concludes that lower initial oak density can maintain good growing conditions with natural regeneration.
- Outcome
- decrease the initial spacing in oak plantations and simultaneously support good growing conditionse0
QuercusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“it is possible to decrease the initial spacing in oak plantations and simultaneously support good growing conditions by means of natural processes, for example, natural regeneration”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors call for longer-term study of the economic efficiency of wider oak spacing.
- Taxon
- sessile oakQuercus petraeat0
- Outcome
- economic efficiency of the method has to be studied in a longer perspectivee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“economic efficiency of the method has to be studied in a longer perspective”
t0“sessile oak (Quercus petraea)”