Growth efficiency of Norway spruce and larch in pure and mixed stands
Abstract
Growth and yield of tree species as compared between mono-specific and in mixed species stands is an old, yet still unsolved problem. While there are quite a lot of recent studies for the mixtures of Norway spruce and common beech, there is a lack of studies of larch- and spruce mixtures, which frequently grow in the mountainous areas of the Eastern Alps. Thus, the growth efficiency of these two species, growing in mono-specific and in mixed stands will be studied. There are two reasons why a species’ growth may be different in a mixed and in a monospecific stand. First, a tree with a given leaf area may receive different amounts of light if the neighbouring trees are of the same species or from another species. In this case the light use efficiency (growth per absorbed light) could be the same even if the leaf area efficiency (growth per m² leaf area) were different. Second, depending on the mixture the tree species may change its rooting behaviour or its shade tolerance and thus exhibit different light use efficiency. Both these effects depend additionally on the trees’ dominance and on the crown disengagement, thus on the proportion of the stand area which is available to the tree. A tree, even with the highest light use efficiency, may be very inefficient on the level of the stand area if it has too much space available. Thus, at first we will investigate in 12 stands how the light use efficiency and the leaf area efficiency depend on the species, the mixture, the stand age and the stand density on the one hand; and on the dominance, on the other hand. Then we will find a definition of the stand area available for a species by comparing an individual tree approach with the approach via potential stand density. Once, this definition found, we will investigate how the area efficiency (growth per unit of stand area) depends on the stand age, the stand density and the species mixture.
Publikationen
Kronenallometrie der Lärche
Autoren: Fellner, H., Sterba, H. Jahr: 2015
Conference & Workshop proceedings, paper, abstract
Project staff
Hubert Sterba
Em.O.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Hubert Sterba
hubert.sterba@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91416
Project Leader
01.01.2012 - 14.06.2016