Effect of soil scarification on natural regeneration of mature scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands in Greece

Abstract

The natural regeneration of Scots pine stands at the Sarakatsana location in the Pieria Mountains improved considerably after the removal of the dense ground vegetation followed mechanical soil scarification. The experimental design consisted of replications on scarified and non-scarified soil. The results four years after the experiment was set up showed that regeneration reached 59 seedlings m-2 in scarified and 7 seedlings m-2 in non-scarified soil. Soil scarification seems to have had a positive effect on the emergence and survival of naturally regenerated Scots pine. The negligible number of dead seedlings in the first two measurements could be due to the favourable site and/or good climatic conditions. Although the mother stand appears to be in a critical condition due to age and increased necrosis as a result of fungal attacks, there is still considerable potential for regeneration in terms of fructification and seed production. The study findings indicate that there can be new growth of Scots pine forest with the shelterwood method of natural regeneration in combination with soil scarification.