Danish cases on natural forest recovery
The third case study
The hurricane forest, Bornholm- Storm 1967
The second case study
Thy National Park, Stenbjerg Plantage - Forest fire in 2013
The first case study
Lovrup Skov - The storm in 1999 that destroyed the forest climate
Natural disturbances are an
important part of forest dynamics and create niches for many species to sustain
and for interesting forest images.
Our research into natural
recovery after disturbances takes place in some managed forests, which have
been heavily impacted by natural disturbances, i.e. Sønderjylland (storm 1999),
Thy (fire 2013), Bornholm (storm 1967).
After the disturbances, these
forests have been left for natural succession, so that the structures and
processes that support or inhibit the natural recovery can be studied.
In the cases we studied, we can
see that that salvaging the wood after disturbances, poorer site conditions and
deer browsing, inhibit natural recovery.
The presence of pre-disturbance
legacies, in the form of surviving trees, advanced regeneration and deadwood
support the recovery of the forest.
Under certain
conditions, natural recovery can be a viable alternative for forest recovery in
Denmark.
Johannes H.C. de Koning
Assistant Professor
[email protected]
Department of Geosciences and
Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen