MendelNet 2021; 49-54

A variety of transpiration in the young spruce stands with different thinning management

Ina Kyselova, Justyna Szatniewska, Lukas Vagner, Jan Krejza, Marian Pavelka

Managing the spruce forest growing beyond its favourable conditions is trading between water consumption and increasing biomass. We examined tree transpiration in four stands with different thinning intensities in a 40-year-old spruce forest in South Moravia. Tree transpiration was significantly higher under moderate and heavy intensity compared to low intensity and control plots. Tree transpiration differed also among trees of different sizes within the treatments and also between the treatments. The stem increment was visibly increasing with the intensity of treatment, particularly for suppressed trees. The findings show an ecological tree response two years after the thinning.

Keywords: Norway spruce, tree size, water consumption, sap flow, biomass production, thinning treatment