Variable retention influence over Nothofagus pumilio regeneration dynamics.

G MARTÍNEZ PASTUR; JM CELLINI; MV LENCINAS; M BARRERA; P PERI

KOREA

Congreso; XXIII IUFRO WORLD CONGRESS; 2010

The current silvicultural prescriptions for old-growth natural native Nothofagus pumilio forests are based mainly on opening the canopy to stimulate natural regeneration by modifying soil moisture and light availability at the understory level. New silvicultural practices intend to manage these forests more effectively, e.g. with aggregated and dispersed retention. The objective was to evaluate the regeneration dynamics along edge-related gradients of the aggregated retention and microenvironments in the dispersed retention during the first 6 years after the harvesting. The tested hypotheses were: (i) aggregated retention influence over rainfall and solar radiation interceptions, modifying the availability of these resources used by the forest regeneration, where the magnitude of the influence is related to the distance from the edge and the considered aspect, and (ii) microenvironments generated by understory plant cover type, debris, and closeness of remnant trees in the dispersed retention influence over regeneration dynamics, where closeness of remnant trees and the increase in the understory cover negatively influence over regeneration, as well as the absence or the excess of debris in the forest floor. All the studied factors influence over regeneration dynamics, but regeneration was abundant in all the sites for stands recovery.