100 



NATURAL REGENERATION 



It is too early to give the results of this suggested departure from 

 standard methods. The greatest danger appears to be from tolerant 

 species which may usurp more than their share of the soil. Oak demands 

 full sunlight for its regeneration. Will this be secured? Then, too, how 

 would Huffel's "futaie claire" cUffer from a group selection system with a 

 cutting cycle of 15 years? 



Conversions. — If we accept the arguments against the coppice and the 

 coppice-under-standards systems these forests must be converted into high 

 forest, and to-day there are 241,189 acres, one-fifth of the State forest area, 

 in France being transformed into high forest.^^ This is easy in theory 

 but difficult to execute satisfactorily except on rich soils with good 

 conditions for natural seeding. The procedure ^^ for conversions varies 

 with the quahty of the stand: 



(A) With rich coppice-under-standards: (1) Increase the rotation of 

 the coppice to reduce sprouting; (2) increase the number of standards; 



(3) every 10 to 12 years thin out the coppice and favor the standards; 



(4) at the end of the new rotation make seed felUngs, secondary fellings, 

 and a final felling as required by the silvicultural conditions; (5) fill 

 in blanks with rapidly growing hght crowned species. 



(B) With a rundown coppice on poor soil rather than wait for the 

 lengthening of the rotation or the gradual reservation of standards, it 

 may be best to: (1) Make a heavy improvement cutting; (2) plant the 

 blanks, and (3) protect the plantations by frequent cleanings and thin- 

 nings. 



Between the extremes of (A) and (B) there may be many combina- 

 tions and variations. In case (A) the coppice rotation may be increased 

 70 to 80 years, since aging the coppice increases the soil fertility and 

 assists the future regeneration. The thinnings can realize the d3dng 

 trees in the coppice, reduce the number of sprouts to each stump, while 

 the cover will hinder sprouting. If the seed felhngs are Hght, beech and 



17 According to Huffel (p. 328, Vol. II, footnote 2) : "From 1876-1892, 348,000 acres 

 of State forest formerly under conversion were made into coppice-under-standards. 

 The acres of coppice under conversion were 699,000 in 1868, 717,000 in 1876, and 

 368,000 in 1892." In 1912 the area was further reduced to 241,189 acres. 



18 Jolyet, pp. 149, 252, 260. 



