ABSTRACT
In this study, three thinning treatments were applied on a 0.54 ha young oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stand (25-30 years old) in Karadag, Artvin in the fall of 1999. The treatments were: (1) no thinning, (2) light thinning, and (3) heavy thinning. Prior to thinning, the stand averaged 15000 trees ha(-1) and 40.0 m2 ha(-1) of basal area, with an average mean diameter of 5 cm. Thinning reduced stand basal areas to about 31.1 and 24.9 m2 ha(-1) for the light and heavy thinning treatments, respectively. After 3-years, diameter increment was the highest in heavily thinned stand and the lowest in unthinned stand. The increment in stand basal area was about 10, 18 and 27% in the unthinned, lightly thinned, and heavily thinned stands, respectively. Fine root biomass significantly decreased with thinning and thinning had no significant effects on soil pH and soil organic matter content.
Subject(s)
Biomass , Fagus/growth & development , Plant Roots/growth & development , Soil , TurkeyABSTRACT
In this study, influence of slope position (south-facing vs. north-facing), species type and sampling time on fine (0-2 mm), small (2-5 mm) and coarse (5-10 mm) root biomass and carbon storage of oriental spruce (Picea orientalis) and oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) were investigated. Mean total root biomass of oriental spruce was 20160 kg ha(-1) in south-facing slopes and 17140 kg ha(-1) in north-facing slopes. Mean total belowground C storage of oriental spruce was 7861 kg ha(-1) in south-facing slopes and 6840 kg ha(-1) in north-facing slopes. Similarly, biomass and C storage of oriental beech were 17190 and 6690 kg ha(-1) in south-facing slopes, and 13260 and 5200 kg ha(-1) in north-facing slopes, respectively. Oriental spruce had significantly higher fine root biomass than did oriental beech in south-facing slopes. Fine root biomass was significantly higher in fall than in spring in south-facing slopes.