Seed source for reforestation must be of an acceptable, local provenance unless otherwise approved by the Division of Forestry.
For natural regeneration in Regions II or III, it must be shown that there is an adequate number of acceptable, well distributed seed trees. If vegetative production is prescribed, the logged area must contain aspen, balsam poplar, western black cottonwood, red alder or paper birch in acceptable condition and with adequate distribution.
Lands being converted to non-forest use are exempted from reforestation requirements.
The responsibility for ensuring regeneration lies with the forest owner, under the supervision of the District Forestry Boards. The Board must be convinced that the harvested areas are regenerated and a field survey is conducted if necessary. Forest owners are not bound by law to reforest an area denuded by a natural disturbance.
Clearcut areas are usually regenerated by planting or seeding. Trees from the previous generation are left in clearcut areas for ecological and scenic reasons. Therefore, some natural regeneration does occur in all harvested areas. Retention trees in clearcut areas include broadleaved species, standing dead and decaying individuals, wildlife trees, and clumps of ancient trees (Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, and Environment, 1994).
The forest owner generally has five years in which to plant or sow a clearcut area.
Recommendations for artificial reforestation, compiled by the Forestry Centres, detail the best provenances, the distance seed may be moved, and the most appropriate genetic material for specific areas. However, the forest owner is free to choose the regeneration material.
Naturally regenerated sites are assessed by the Forestry Boards after a reasonable period of time. The allowable time period varies depending on the geographic location of the site. Natural regeneration takes longer in northern Finland.
In 1993, 4.7 million ha of forest land were planted or seeded. An additional 46,000 ha were left to regenerate naturally (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 1994a).
Federal Republic of Germany
Section 11 of the Federal Forest Act states that all clearcuts must be reforested. The section also states that natural regeneration is a preferred reforestation technique. Afforestation is also encouraged. However, Section 10 of the Federal Forest Act requires forest owners to receive permission from the State Forest Administration if they intend to plant and/or seed an area.
Baden-Wurttemberg
Section 15 of the Forest Law requires reforestation of all clearcut areas within 3 years of harvesting. Successful regeneration must be guaranteed within 5 years. Local forest officers continuously monitor recently harvested areas to ensure forest owners meet their obligations.
In accordance with the Federal Forest Law, natural regeneration is encouraged in Baden-Wurttemberg. However, forest owners are also encouraged to re-establish mixed forests of native species. Historic preference for exotic species has excluded native species from most sites. Therefore, native species will usually not re-establish unless they are planted.
The Forest Law does not specify the use of specific provenances. Provenance selection is regulated in the Law on Forest Seed and Nursery Stock. The Forest Seed Law restricts the use and movement of forest seed. Only certified seed from proven regional provenances is used to produce nursery stock. However, the Seed and Nursery Law does not control species type. A forest owner can legally plant any of the certified species. However, subsidies are available for planting and often a condition of the subsidy is to plant the species selected by the forest administration. The forest administration select species according to the information included on the site classification maps.
Bavaria
Deforested areas in Bavaria must be reforested within three years and the preferred reforestation technique is natural regeneration. If satisfactory regeneration can not occur naturally, the area is planted with nursery stock. As in Baden-Wurttemberg, mixed species forests are encouraged and the appropriate species are identified from site map information. Planting of suitable species is encouraged through the use of subsidies.
The Bavarian State Institute for Forest Seedling and Planting is responsible for recording admissible tree stands and compiling the annual seed crop forecast. There are 12,500 registered seed stands in Bavaria covering an area of 50,000 ha (Brinkmann, pers. comm.). Seed orchards have also been established to ensure the supply of poorly accessible or rare provenances.
Reforestation is required following harvest; a free-growing stand must be established on depleted areas, and stands cannot be entered back into the inventory without a free-to-grow assessment.
Under the Act, reforestation must begin on clearcuts within one year of the completion of logging. By the end of the fifth growing season the minimum number of acceptable, free-to-grow seedlings must be established. Under recent changes dated September 28, 1994, reforestation must begin upon completion of logging operations or within 12 months after stocking has been reduced. Unless a written plan for natural regeneration has been filed, planting or seeding must be completed within 24 months.
Acceptable species are designated by ODF for each administrative region.
Planting is regarded as a safe regeneration method and is always accepted. If natural regeneration is the chosen technique, additional measures may be required. For example, the forest owner may be asked to leave seed trees, retain shelterwood, scarify the soil, or install drainage structures (P. Kjellin, pers. comm.).
Measures for regeneration must take place within 3 years of harvesting. If natural regeneration is the accepted reforestation technique the result must be obvious within 5,10, or 15 years, depending on the location in Sweden. A proportion of the regenerating areas are surveyed annually by the County Forestry Boards and monitored by the National Forestry Board. The Boards also rely on information provided by professionals such as, the forest owners organization, plant nurseries, forest companies, and loggers (P. Kjellin, pers. comm.).
Forest owners can choose which species to plant. This information is not included on the final felling form. Typically, Norway spruce and Scots pine are the only species available and because they are grown in professionally run nurseries their origin is usually acceptable. However, replanting in alpine areas can be difficult because of the lack of suitable plant material. In many cases, a condition to receiving permission to harvest requires forest owners to increase the number of seedlings per hectare. This condition moderates the expected increase in mortality.
If necessary, the County Forestry Board does have the authority to prohibit or regulate the plant material that is used.
Between 1986/87 and 1991/92 the average yearly area reforested was 190,000 ha. Approximately 200,000 ha were reforested in 1993. Of this, 70% was planted and the remaining 30% was left to regenerate naturally (P. Kjellin pers. comm.). Natural regeneration is becoming a more popular reforestation technique because the 1994 Forestry Act allows a higher proportion of hardwoods to regenerate in stands.
On private land, however, landowners are free to use improved genetic stock or more productive timber species (Code, 1989:31). On seeded coupes, the species mix should approximate the composition of the stand prior to harvesting (Code, 1989:9). Where natural regeneration is the chosen method, seed trees must be capable of adequate seed production, and must represent the natural composition of the forest (Code, 1989:9, 31).
Regeneration of native forests on public land is the responsibility of the management organization selling the timber. On private land, regeneration is the responsibility of the landowner. Regeneration must be obtained using silvicultural techniques that are the most economic and environmentally appropriate to the type of forest and the specific site conditions. (Code, 1989:8, 30). Reforestation of unstocked and/or partially stocked eucalypt sites that have a high potential for timber production must be encouraged (Code, 1989:9, 31).
