Regeneration of Nothofagus pumilio throughout the forest management cycle: 1. Crown closure and harvesting incidence

Abstract

Lenga is the forest species with the highest economical impact in Patagonia. Within the forest, an important population of saplings and seedlings whose survival depends on the quantity of light that the parent tree canopy allows to enter, can be found. Their regeneration can be affected by the harvesting. The objective of this work was to analyse the influence of the crown closure and harvesting on the installation and evolution of natural regeneration in a Nothofagus pumilio forest managed by a shelterwood system in Tierra del Fuego. The amount of seedlings and saplings in the studied forests was abundant for forest management purposes. The crown closure significantly affected the installation and growth of seedlings and saplings. On the other hand, it is possible to find a bank of regeneration in the understory, that would be enough to regenerate the forest if a shelterwood system is carried out. It is very important to consider the amount of saplings and seedlings in the decisions of a forest management plan because harvesting activities affect the installed saplings and seedlings.