RESEARCH FOR

EVALUATION OF RESULTS OF FOREST
REGENERATION AFTER STUMP EXTRACTION IN FINLAND
Soil pressure resistance at 0...20 cm, MPa
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
seedlings in the selected plots (2504 ± 81 per ha -1 )
is by 30% more than it is set for spruce stands –
1800 per ha -1 (Kirjoittajia, 2007).
According to evaluation of the growth conditions
in the selected stands and requirements for
selection of species for the forest regeneration set
in the Regulations of Cabinet of Ministers No 1453,
paragraph 4.2 selection of spruce in all cases is the
right choice. Similarly, spruce is right species for all
sites according to the forest regeneration regulations
in Finland (Kirjoittajia, 2007).
Distribution of the living seedlings (regularity)
is even and corresponds to requirements set by the
Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No 1453,
paragraphs 4.3, 4.4.3, 4.5 and 5. Number of unused
planting spots in all of the selected stands is sufficient
to do supplementary planting if necessary as well as
to select better planting spots during the regenerative
planting.
According to requirements of the time limits for
the forest regeneration in certain stand types set by
Regulations of the Cabinet of ministers No 1453,
Relative soil moisture, %
Figure 1. Relation between soil pressure resistance and relative soil moisture.
Healthy trees 72.1%
paragraph 3.1, the regeneration in all of the selected
stands is done in a timely fashion.
Average height of the measured seedlings in all
sample plots is bigger than the threshold value (0.1 m)
set by the Regulations of the Cabinet of ministers
No 1453 for coniferous trees (Figure 3). This means
that the selected stands can meet this requirement
for the forest regeneration, too. The measured trees
have good increment in height values (11.6 ± 0.4 cm),
which also approves sufficient regeneration of the
stands (Saksa and Heiskanen, 2005).
The only problematic requirement for regenerated
stands according to the Regulations of Cabinet of
Ministers No 1453 is density of stands. Most of stands
reach the threshold value for spruce (2000 seedlings
ha -1 ); except compartments No 4, 10, 14 and 15
(Figure 4). None of them, except the compartment
No 15, meet the national requirement for the forest
regeneration in Finland. Forest owner can decide to
plant more seedlings than necessary, which is the case
in most of the selected stands. It is a common practice
in Finland that forest owners are planting minimum
Damaged living trees 13.6%
Empty planting spots 13.9%
Diseased trees 0.3%
Figure 2. Relative distribution of initially established planting spots.
Andis Lazdiņš, Mariam Mattila
58 ReseaRch foR RuRal Development 2012