%0 Articles
%T Natural regeneration success of Scots pine and Norway spruce in continuous cover forestry in Finland
%A Peltola, Petra
%D 2026
%J Dissertationes Forestales
%V 2026
%N 396
%R doi:10.14214/df.396
%U http://dissertationesforestales.fi/article/26013
%X Continuous cover forestry (CCF) may improve the overall production of ecosystem services compared to traditional rotation forestry. However, sustainable CCF requires successful natural regeneration. The aim of this research was to evaluate the success of the natural regeneration of Scots pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.) and Norway spruce (<i>Picea abies</i> [L.] Karst.), and determine the influencing factors, after CCF cuttings in Finland. In Studies I and II, the natural regeneration of pine seedlings was evaluated in northern Finland 12–34 years after selection cuttings (I), and of spruce seedlings in southern Finland 25 years after selection cuttings (II), using no mechanical site preparation. In Study III, the natural regeneration of pine seedlings was evaluated 3–4 years after small gap, selection and shelterwood cuttings in northern Finland, using different site preparation intensities (all unprepared, and track and patch scarification in small gap and shelterwood cuttings). In Studies I and II, the dense overstory reduced the number and height growth of the pine (I) and spruce (II) seedlings after selection cuttings. In Study I, a thick humus layer also reduced the number of pine seedlings. In Study III, the number of pine seedlings was highest in small gap cuttings with track preparation. In small gap cuttings, the number of pine seedlings also increased with distance from the forest edge and coverage of bare humus. In the selection and shelterwood cuttings (III), number of seedlings decreased with increasing stoniness and moss and bilberry cover. To conclude, the establishment and height growth (and also ingrowth) of the seedlings were slow after the selection cuttings (I and II). Mechanical site preparation improved seedling establishment in the small gap and shelterwood cuttings (III). The use of remote sensing showed potential for estimating the success of forest regeneration in small gaps (III).