Forest regeneration is the process by which new tree seedlings become established after forest trees have been harvested or have died from fire, insects, or disease. Regeneration is key to sustainable forestry and can be accomplished through two basic approaches.
Methods of Regeneration
From the above definition, it is
apparent that there are two main methods of regenerating forest crops but in
practice, a combination of the two methods is also sometimes adopted. Thus, the methods of regeneration of forest
crops are
i)
Natural regeneration
ii)
Artificial regeneration and
iii)
Natural regeneration supplemented by
artificial regeneration
Natural Regeneration
Natural regeneration is defined as
‘the renewal of a forest crop by self-sown seed or by coppice or root
suckers. It also refers to the crop so obtained. Thus, the natural regeneration may be
obtained from the following two main sources:
i)
From seed and
ii)
From vegetative parts
When
regeneration obtained from seed forms a crop, it is called a seedling crop
which is defined as ‘a crop consisting of seedlings neither planted nor of
coppice or root sucker origin but originating in situ from natural regeneration’.
When this seedling crop grows into a forest, it is called a high
forest. When regeneration obtained by
coppice forms a crop, it is called coppice crop and when it develops into a
forest, it is called coppice forest to differentiate it from the high
forest. Root suckers are, however, not
used for large scale regeneration operation.
Natural Regeneration from
Seed
Natural
regeneration from seed depends upon
1) Seed production 2) Seed dispersal
3) Germination and 4) Establishment
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