Modelling of Secondary Even-Aged Norway Spruce Stands Conversion using the Tree Growth Simulator Sibyla: Se “Rakhiv Forestry” Case Study

Abstract

The multifaceted phenomenon of climate change and increased human activities of the Anthropocene induce significant losses. Especially, the ecological resilience of secondary even-aged Norway spruces and require of their conversion into mixed uneven-aged ones. This study modeled and analyzed the conversion of such stand under conditions of the State Enterprise “Rakhiv Forestry”, Transcarpathian region, the Ukrainian Carpathians, using the tree growth simulator SIBYLA. The analysis of collected data showed that the application of only two of the four proposed conversion strategies (S3 and S4) allows us to get a target tree species composition with a sufficient height and diameter diversity. That was confirmed by a set of indicators for tree species and structural diversity of the study forest plot.