Last modified: 25 Mar 2016 11:37
Current theory and practice of silviculture will be covered in five themes to allow you to explore the science of establishing and maintaining forest stands, building resilience to abiotic damage, thinning, regenerating forests, and understanding the dynamics of regular and irregular forest structures . Weekly lectures will consolidate the processes of growth and development of single trees and of whole forest ecosystems. Discussions during the lectures will encourage inquiry and informed argument. One main assignment based on a real forest scenario will allow you to demonstrate individual thought and analysis.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | None. | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Establishment of forests – decisions on where to plant new forests, what types of forest do we need; choice of tree species – native vs non-native; forest tree production; natural regeneration – dynamics of natural regeneration in relation to canopy cover; forest nutrition – nutrient cycles within forest stands.
Forest stability – growth and morphology of tree root systems, effects of wind and snow loading on trees, mechanics of overturning and stem snap.
Regular and irregular stand structures – thinning forest stands – selective thinning, non-selective thinning, thinning species mixtures, determining rotation length
Silvicultural systems– uniform shelterwood, strip and accessory systems; group, irregular shelterwood and selection systems.
Transformations – monocultures to species mixtures, regular to irregular stand structures.
Non-standard silvicultural systems – high grading and diameter-limited cutting; restoring damaged forests – improvement, enrichment and replacement.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
Assessment is based on one extended assignment (75% of marks) and one presentation (25% of marks).
There are no assessments for this course.
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