Abstract
Eight-year-old plantations (11) of silver birch were studied on abandoned agricultural land in Estonia. Trees were planted on uncovered soil and on polyethylene. After eight growing seasons, the height and diameter at breast height of the trees grown on polyethylene were significantly (P < 0.001) larger than corresponding parameters of the trees grown on uncovered soil. The annual height increment of the birches grown on the polyethylene was significantly (P < 0.05) larger during six growing seasons after planting compared to that of the trees grown on uncovered soil. However, annual height increments were not significantly different in the 7th and the 8th growing seasons. The use of polyethylene mulching had a statistically significant effect (P < 0.001) on the height of the beginning of the live crown in 8-year-old plantations. The differences between the values of live crown ratio of the trees grown on polyethylene and the values of live crown ratio of the trees grown on uncovered soil decreased during six growing seasons. However, by the 7th and 8th growing seasons, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the values of the live crown ratio. The height growth of silver birch grown without mulching as well as with mulching was found to be more intensive on Glossic Podzoluvisol, Calcaric Cambisol, Calcaric Luvisol and Dystric Gleysol; however, the height growth was more intensive on mulched soil. The height growth of the birches was modelled on the single-tree and stand levels for five soil types.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the Environmental Investment Centre, Estonia, by the Estonian Science Foundation grant No. 7069 and by the target financing project SF 170021s08 of the Ministry of Education and Research, Estonia. We would like to thank Mr. Urmas Tamm and Mr. Rainit Vildo for their help in field measurements. The English text was kindly revised by Ms Merike Toomik, Mr Alexander Harding and Ms Ester Jaigma.
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Kund, M., Vares, A., Sims, A. et al. Early growth and development of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) plantations on abandoned agricultural land. Eur J Forest Res 129, 679–688 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-010-0369-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-010-0369-0