Dead wood structure and volume in managed Fagus orientalis forests in the Black Sea region

Abstract

A study was carried out to evaluate the volume and characteristics of dead wood in managed Fagus orientalis (L.) forests in three areas of the Black Sea region of Turkey. Data were collected from 43 plots selected in beech forests in the highest age class (average stand volume 320 m3ha-1). The detailed structure and variability of coarse and fine woody debris in different stages of decay are described. The mean volume of coarse woody debris (CWD) was 81 m3ha-1, representing almost 25% of the total stand volume, which is much more than in European managed beech forests. The prevailing type was fallen dead wood, and the average volume of standing dead wood was only 6 m3ha-1 (8 snags on average). The main factors significantly infuencing the amount of dead wood were stand volume and stand basal area. Other factors were the altitude and fir admixture in the stand. The influence of nearby villages and occasional logging was low (r = 0.3-0.35), decreasing the stand volume, canopy density, and the number of trees and snags in plots accessible for logging, and increasing the amount of fine woody debris (FWD). Accessibility was decreased by slope inclination (r = 0.35) and the distance from a village or forest road.