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Abstract

This study focuses on natural processes and their utilization in silviculture. Two pioneer stands with the presence of silver fir in the lower storey were studied – (1) Mokřinky and (2) Padělky. Both stands are located in the lower part of the Nízký Jeseník Mts. (Czech Republic) and represent the oak-beech vegetation zone, although the dominant commercial species for this region throughout the 20th century was Norway spruce. The stands are about 30 (1) and 35 (2) years old with a dominant heights of 20 m and 25 m, respectively. In order to analyse the stand structure, an inventory net of patches (10 m2 for the upper storey; 2 m2 for the regeneration storey) was established. European aspen, as the dominant pioneer species, makes up 56% and 74% of the size of the average basal area of 28.8 m2/ha at the site (2) and 28.3 m2/ha at the site (1), respectively. Silver fir makes up 73% and 65% of total regeneration at (1) with average density 50 385 pcs/ha, and (2) with average density 108 462 pcs/ha, respectively. The age of silver fir regeneration ranged from one to more than ten years. The factor limiting the regeneration success of silver fir and other species in both preparatory stands is a game browsing. Considering closer-to-nature silviculture, the regeneration of silver fir in preparatory stands should be long-term.