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Tree rings reveal signs of Europe's sustainable forest management long before the first historical evidence

Environmental Studies and Forestry

Tree rings reveal signs of Europe's sustainable forest management long before the first historical evidence

B. Muigg, G. Skiadaresis, et al.

This intriguing dendrochronological study by Bernhard Muigg and colleagues explores the remarkable radial growth response of overstorey oaks in Coppice-with-Standards forests. Find out how cyclical understorey harvesting influenced oak growth over centuries in southern Germany and north-eastern France, revealing management practices that date back to the medieval period and even earlier.

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Playback language: English
Abstract
This dendrochronological study investigates the radial growth response of overstorey oaks (*Quercus* sp.) in actively managed Coppice-with-Standards (CWS) forests to cyclical understorey harvesting. Modern standards show rapid growth releases every ~30 years, likely due to regular understorey management. Analysis of tree-ring width patterns in 2120 oak timbers from historical buildings and archaeological excavations (300-2015 CE) in southern Germany and north-eastern France identified CWS growth patterns throughout the medieval period, with some dating to the first millennium CE, suggesting CWS management predates historical documentation.
Publisher
Scientific Reports
Published On
Dec 11, 2020
Authors
Bernhard Muigg, Georgios Skiadaresis, Willy Tegel, Franz Herzig, Paul J. Krusic, Uwe E. Schmidt, Ulf Büntgen
Tags
dendrochronology
oak trees
Coppice-with-Standards
understorey harvesting
forest management
tree-ring analysis
medieval period

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