Effects of selection and shelterwood method on quality and quantity of trees along skid trails in beech (Fagus orientalis, Lipsky) forests

Abstract

The effects of two silvicultural methods on quality and quantity of forest trees (along skid trails) were studied. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of shelterwood and selection methods on forest stand, and to compare the results with intact stand. Asalem forests were selected for this research. The belt transects of 10 × 100 m were used to collect the data. The plots were classified as those with low traffic, medium traffic, high traffic and control. The analysis of data showed that the degree of damage to forest stand, quality and quantity of trees on control plots was lower than along skid trails. In addition, there was a significant difference between high-quality trees in the two methods (P = 0.007). Furthermore, silvicultural methods showed significant differences in skewness and plummeting of low-quality trees (P = 0.014). In general, it can be concluded that trees in selection method were in better shape than those in shelterwood method related to quantity parameters. The results suggest that the damage caused by a silvicultural method can be reduced by using better methods and pre-harvest planning.