Study of the Effects of Polypropylene Tree Shelters and Hydrophilic Polymers on Growth, Survival, Health and Physiological Condition of Pedunculate Oak Seedlings (Quercus robur L.)

This paper presents the results of eight years of scientific research on the effect of polypropylene shelters (Tully tubes) and hydrophilic polymers on growth, survival, health and physiological condition of pedunculate oak seedlings (Quercus robur L.). The experiment was established in 2014 on relative forest soil, on partially forested land in subcompartment 35a, forest management unit Kragujna, which is managed by the Forest Administration Vinkovci, Forest Office Županja. In the autumn of 2014, one-year-old bare-rooted pedunculate oak seedlings were planted as a randomized block design experiment - four blocks with four repetitions. Four types of planting were tested: seedlings without a polypropylene shelter, without the addition of Zeba hydrophilic polymer granules (S variant), seedlings without a polypropylene shelter, with the addition of Zeba hydrophilic polymer granules (SP variant), seedlings with a polypropylene shelter, without the addition of Zeba hydrophilic polymer granules (SS variant), and seedlings with a polypropylene shelter, with the addition of Zeba hydrophilic polymer granules (SSP variant). The experiment was established as a result of considering the long-term problem of difficulties in natural regeneration. Disturbances in natural regeneration are certainly caused by increasing climate changes (floods, long-term droughts, storms, hailstorms, etc.) and other unfavourable biotic and abiotic factors that cause a significant reduction in quantities and/or an almost complete absence of pedunculate oak acorn yield. Due to the aforementioned circumstances, in the very near future we will be forced to resort more often to different forms of artificial forest regeneration, such as regeneration by planting sheltered seedlings that are less exposed to risks and challenges during survival, and which have greater competitiveness in relation to other vegetation on the regeneration surface (higher growth). Nowadays, this method of regeneration is used mostly for filling in places where, for various reasons, natural regeneration has been unsuccessful on several occasions and over a long period of time, and/or where there are great difficulties in carrying out natural regeneration (floods, areas damaged by fires, game damages and competition of weeds). This paper presents the results of scientific research after five periodic measurements, i.e. after the first, second, fifth, sixth and eighth growing season. The results show that even after the eighth growing season, seedlings protected with a polypropylene shelter have greater survival rate and greater height growth than unprotected seedlings. The highest survival rate was found in seedlings protected with a polypropylene shelter, with the addition of Zeba hydrophilic polymer of 82.14% (SSP variant), while unprotected seedlings with the addition of Zeba hydrophilic polymer (SP variant) had the lowest survival rate of 62.63%. The highest growth was recorded on seedlings protected with a polypropylene shelter, with the addition of Zeba hydrophilic polymer (SSP variant) amounting to 202.75 cm, while on average the smallest seedlings were those without polypropylene shelter protection and without the addition of Zeba hydrophilic polymer (S variant), amounting to 129.02 cm