International guidance on initial stocking densities for conifers: is there any evidence to alter practice in Britain!

摘要

Published guidance, scientific literature and personal observations of establishment stocking density practices for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and larch species (Larix spp.) are reviewed from Continental Europe,Scandinavia, Ireland and North America, and are compared with past and current British recommendations. Recommended planting densities vary widely between countries and the objective basis for recommendations is often unclear. Overall, recommended planting densities for Scots pine are higher than those for Douglas-fir and the larches. Higher planting densities tend to be preferred on more fertile sites. There is recognition that pruning is often necessary in order to produce high value timber from plantations established at low densities. In the absence of more robust objective information, however, there is little basis for recommending any deviation from existing British practice.