Comparison of natural and artificial regeneration after windthrows in 2008

Primerjali smo uspeh naravne in umetne obnove po treh vetrolomih v letu 2008. Na vsakem izmed raziskovalnih območij (Črnivec, Trnovski gozd, Bohor) smo leta 2012 zakoličili in analizirali ploskve z naravno in umetno obnovo ter jih ponovno premerili leta 2014. Znotraj ploskev smo zakoličili manjše vegetacijske ploskvice, na katerih smo popisali zeliščno plast in gostote mladja. Povprečna gostota samoniklega naravnega mladja šest let po ujmi je znašala 14.000 osebkov na hektar. Samoniklo mladje je bilo prostorsko neenakomerno porazdeljeno, kar nakazuje razlike med mikrorastišči. Ugotovili smo slabši uspeh obnove na južnih pobočjih, mestih, ki so bolj oddaljena od semenskih dreves in gozdnega roba, mikrorastiščih brez motenj oz. posebnosti in na večjih nadmorskih višinah. Na takih rastiščih je saditev smiselna in upravičena. Gostote naravnega samoniklega mladja so bile v pozitivni povezavi, preživetje naravnega dominantnega mladja in sadik pa v negativni s pokrovnostjo zeliščne plasti, prav tako je na preživetje negativno vplivalo objedanje. Višina osebka je bila najbolj značilen dejavnik za napovedovanje preživetja. Stopnja preživetja sadik in dominantnega mladja smreke je bila visoka, medtem ko sta sencozdržni bukev in jelka imeli višjo stopnjo mortalitete. Raziskava potrjuje velik potencial samoniklega naravnega mladja na območjih saditev, ki ga lahko z gojitvenimi deli zaviramo. Navedene so gozdnogojitvene usmeritve za ravnanje po vetrolomih.We studied regeneration dynamics in forests disturbed by three windthrows in 2008 to assess the success of natural regeneration vs planting. On each of the study sites (Črnivec, Trnovski gozd, Bohor) plots of dominant naturally regenerated saplings and plots with planted saplings were selected and measured in 2012 and 2014. Herbs and seedling establishment were studied in two subplots within each plot. Average seedling density six years after windthrow was 14,000 per ha. Seedlings were irregularly distributed, which suggests micro-site differences in regeneration dynamics. Results indicated lower seedling success on sites that were southerly exposed, farther from the forest edge and seed trees, on undisturbed micro-sites and at higher altitudes. On such sites planting was justified. While seedling density indicated a positive relation to herb coverage, sapling survival was negatively associated with it as well as with browsing. Sapling initial height was the strongest predictor of their survival. Spruce saplings had the lowest mortality, while shade-tolerant silver fir and beech experienced high mortality. The study revealed the high potential of naturally regenerated seedlings within young plantations, which can be reduced by silvicultural measures. Guidance for the improvement of silvicultural operations for post windthrow restoration is given