CHARACTERISTICS OF CHESTNUT COPPICES IN LIMOUSIN

On acidified and desaturated soils Hedera helix and Oxalis acetosella are frequently observed. Moreover, the rapid development of the coppices results both from the chemical composition of rocks and from the soil nutrient availability. On the most desaturated soils marked by Molinia coerulea and Calluna vulgaris, the rotation period is usually 5 years and biomass production stays very low. But when the soil nutrient content is higher, the rotation period increases (15 – 20 years) due to a better growth. Futhermore, the diameter of stumps is also a very important criteria in the evaluation of the growth potential. The most interesting data is that, in Limousin, the ring-shake has never been seen in trees grown in deep non hydromorphic soils.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files)