Littérature scientifique sur le sujet « Bosco ceduo »

To date there has been very little information on the dry deciduous forests on the southern side of the alps. To redress this imbalance we carried out an intensive and detailed survey of the natural regeneration processes in chestnut-beech-coppice stands in a deciduous forest over a period of 6 years. On a steep sunless slope with easterly exposure we clear cut four narrow aisles, each about 15 metres wide and 100 metres long. On numerous transsections within these aisles, all the way up to the borders where trees were left standing, we installed 119 test sample areas of 1m2, systematically and objectively distributed. The regular examination and taking stock of initial rich natural seeding shows very clearly that this abundance was made possible, above all, by the roughening up of the top soil during clearing. In the following years nearly all test sample areas were covered with increasingly thick layers of leaf-mould which appears to have made subsequent seeding amazingly difficult. In fact, numerous specialist publications and surveys confirm that thick organic cover (the accumulation of leaves over many years with the subsequent formation of leaf-mould)on locations with frequent and severe risk of dehydration is especially unfavourable to germination substrate. However,once the seedlings have successfully put down roots the risk of mortality is strongly diminished in the presence of adequate light. In order to foster natural regeneration in these dry deciduous forest stands we recommend that following procedures be implemented. Using a uniform shelterwood compartment system,the very first light felling (opening up of the stand) should be carried out in winter immediately after effective seeding and the top soil should be roughened up, at least in some places, down to the level of mineral earth layers. Felling carried out in the traditional manner is usually enough to ensure that the top soil is roughened up and, in addition, that seeds and mineral earth are mixed. The increase in the amount of light should optimised in such a way as to allow, on the one hand, regeneration seedlings to survive and grow, but that does not heighten competition from the development of vegetation and possible shoots on the other. Our examination produced further results: growth and survival of the regeneration depends on the amount of light, regeneration reserve under the previous old stand, as well as on the strong throttling of development of the vegetation and shoots in the narrow aisles with little sunlight.

This work is the result of three years of studies aimed to actively contribute in enhancing knowledge regarding sustainable forest management. Starting from the wide and complex, but also fascinating, concept of sustainability, four case studies were developed concerning different topics related to environmental, social and economic aspects.