Four-year-performance of oak and pine seedlings following mechanical site preparation with lightweight excavators

Mechanical site preparation methods that used tools mounted on lightweight excavators and provided localised intensive were tested in eight experimental sites across France where the vegetation was dominated either by (L.) Moench or Kuhn. Two (Deep Scarifier: DS; Deep Scarifier followed Multifunction Subsoiler: DS+MS) pine ( L., var. (Loudon) Hyl. Aiton) oak (Matt.) Liebl. L.) plantations. Regional commonly locally (herbicide, disk harrow, mouldboard plow) (repeated herbicide application; untreated control) as references experiments. Neighbouring cover, seedling survival, height basal diameter assessed over three to five years after plantation. For pines growing , four 37% 98% greater DS DS+MS, respectively, than control. it 62% 107% same treatments. oak, only 4% 15% 13% 25% pines, survival rate 26% 32% higher 64% 70% 3% 29% 31% . Herbicide, when applied for planting, best growth performances oaks these species combinations, DS+MS treatments reduced neighbouring cover one following preparation.Molinia caeruleaPteridium aquilinumPinus sylvestrisPinus nigracorsicanaPinus pinasterQuercus petraeaQuercus roburM. caeruleaP. aquilinumM. caerulea P. aquilinumP. aquilinum