Forest understory may be strongly affected by silvicultural practices such as thinning, which simultaneously modulates the overstory canopy cover and influences the availability of light. However, the understory layer is rarely considered in management decisions, partly because methods to estimate understory leaf area index are poorly developed. In this study we used two different restricted view angle photographic methods to estimate overstory plant area index L<inf>O</inf> (zenith cover photography), understory leaf area index L<inf>U</inf> (nadir cover photography) and their related canopy attributes (foliage clumping, foliage cover, crown cover, crown porosity). These measurements were performed in beech stands under different management regime. Results from photography indicated that not only overstory but also understory canopy attributes were significantly influenced by forest management. In addition, a significant negative correlation was found between L<inf>O</inf> and L<inf>U</inf>. We conclude that the photographic methods are effective for monitoring (overstory and understory) canopy status in managed stands, on account of their rapid and not destructive procedures, which allows large scale implementation of the methods. © 2014 Estonian University of Life Sciences. All rights reserved.

Stand structure, tree density as well as tree spatial pattern define natural dynamics and competition process. They are therefore parameters used to define any silvicultural management type. This work aims to report first data resulting from a silvicultural experiment in beech forests. The objective of the trial is testing the structure manipulation in terms of diversity and the reduction of inter-tree competition of different thinning approaches. Alternative thinning methods have been applied in two independent experimental sites located in the pre-Alps and southern Apennines, in Italy. Specific goals were to: (i) verify the impact early after thinning implementation on forest structure through a set of diversity and competition metrics resulting from a literature review; (ii) the sensitivity of tested indexes to detect effectively thinning manipulation. Main results show the low sensitivity of stand structure indexes and the ability of competition metrics to detect thinning outcome.

Peri-urban plantations in the Mediterranean are often degraded due to human inactivity and climate change, leading to a loss of ecosystem services and biodiversity. This study investigates the impact of different thinning practices on carbon sequestration and tree stability in a degraded peri-urban plantation in the Italian Apennines, six years after thinning. Three treatments were compared: (a) moderate thinning from below (− 25% biomass), representing the typical practice; (b) intense selective thinning (-35% biomass), representing an innovative approach; and (c) no management as the control. Growth projections were used to estimate carbon recovery for these treatments, based on site-specific models calibrated with real data. The results show that both thinning approaches increased carbon sequestration over time, with the innovative thinning achieving a 7% higher annual carbon sequestration rate than traditional thinning and 8% more than the control. Estimated payback times were 9 years for recovering the harvested volume in both thinning approaches, 10 years for innovative thinning to surpass traditional thinning, 17 years for innovative thinning to surpass the control, and 24 years for traditional thinning to surpass the control. Additionally, tree mechanical stability improved significantly in both thinning treatments after two years, with further increases observed in the innovative thinning group after six years. These results suggest that selective thinning can accelerate forest recovery and carbon sequestration, especially in areas with high stem density, where it can reduce the negative impacts of tree mortality and deadwood accumulation. However, careful planning is required to mitigate potential short-term stability issues, particularly in challenging environments (e.g., windy conditions, steep slopes). Forest management strategies should therefore aim to balance growth, carbon storage, and tree stability, considering both long-term sustainability and local environmental conditions. The findings are particularly relevant for current climate change mitigation strategies, emphasizing that thinning should be carefully tailored to forest type and conditions to maximize benefits in carbon credit generation and sustainable forest management practices. © Northeast Forestry University 2025.

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests have a long history of coppicing, but the majority of formerly managed coppices are currently under conversion to high forest. The long time required to achieve conversion requires a long-term perspective to fully understand the implication of the applied conversion practices. In this study, we showed results from a long-term (1992–2014) casestudy comparing two management options (natural evolution and periodic thinning) in a beech coppice in conversion to high forest. Leaf area index, litter production, radiation transmittance and growth efficiency taken as relevant stand descriptors, were estimated using both direct and indirect optical methods. Overall, results indicated that beech coppice showed positive and prompt responses to active conversion practices based on periodic medium-heavy thinning. A growth efficiency index showed that tree growth increased as the cutting intensity increased. Results from the case study supported the effectiveness of active conversion management from an economic (timber harvesting) and ecological (higher growth efficiency) point of view. © 2016, Finnish Society of Forest Science. All rights reserved.