After 50 years of high forest a former coppice with standard system has been restored by an own management class in the state forest district of Liebenburg (Northern Harz Lowlands, Lower Saxony). On permanent plots we investigated stand structure of a cutting system where the coppice with standard system started on 62 ha in 1991. At the beginning of the 20-year rotation period on the shallow loess-influenced clacareous soils, the coppice with standards were dominated by mixed stands of broadleaved tree species. By previous high-value timber harvesting the standing volume of the stands was relatively low and poor of potential standard trees but rich in horizontal and vertical structure. After cutting stand structure changed dramatically. Compared to similar projects in Lower Saxony (Northeim, Barterode), by log number of about 67 and by volume of about 76 cubic metres of standing crop trees per ha distributed over dominant stems, the Liebenburg project is much closer to the historic model of a coppice with standard system soon after disturbance. After cutting one third of the tree leyer is formed by beech, one third by valuable broadleaved tree species (mainly ash, sycamore and wild service trees), while the last third is built up by hornbeam and oak trees. On the unmanaged plots hornbeam dominates, mainly by its high volume within the understorey (shrub layer). The natural regeneration of the cutted plots is dominated by saplings of ash and sycamore. Compared to the historic model, coppice shoots are rare and of less vigor. Oak showed high mortality caused by climatic stress and insect attack in the tree layer and suffering lack of light and game browsing in the understorey. Sapling planting of oak trees and tending intervention against the competing valuable broadleaved tree species are necessary to maintain oak trees permanently as a main species of the upper tree layer of this coppice with standard system.
222.1 (Mittelwald) 231.4 (Natürliche Verjüngung durch Stockausschlag [vgl. auch 222]) 561 (Zuwachs an Höhe, Durchmesser, Grundfläche, Form und Qualität) [430] (Deutschland, 1990-)
