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Site:DS41

REINFFORCE - Arboretum - Great Glen
Municipality: Inverness
Region: Highland
Country: Scotland-UK
Website: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestresearch
Partner in charge of the site: FR
Responsible name: Dr V Stokes

Site characteristics

Altitude (m): 75
Topography: middle slope
Orientation: SE
Slope (%): 20.0
Hydrology: Free draining
Soil type: HISTOSOLS
Soil sub-type: dystric-eutric
Parent rock: acid regional metamorphic rocks

Climate

Average temperature (°C): 6.7
Average precipitation (mm): 1377
Number of frost days: 131
Reference period for climatic data: 1950-2000

History of the site

Under conditions of climate change restocking is likely to become increasingly challenging and require more intensive silvicultural care. This experiment examines the impact of microclimate on growth and survival of planted Douglas fir trees. Seedlings have been planted on open clearfell sites and under an irregular shelterwood to identify relationships between microclimate conditions and growth and survival of seedlings. The forested compartment comprises of Douglas fir planted in 1927 as an even-aged stand and now managed as a seed stand. The stand was thinned in 2011. There is some natural regeneration of Douglas fir, and the ground vegetation comprised of grasses and mosses. The nearby open restocking area was cleared of dense natural regeneration in 2001 and is now managed as a plantation on ancient woodland site (PAWS). The site was unvegetated and had a large amount of harvesting residue.
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