Autecological and silvicultural characterisation of precious hardwoods

Abstract

A bibliographic study was made of the autecology of four hardwoods (ash, wild cherry, sycamore and Norway maple) to produce a summary of the state of knowledge. The many documents consulted revealed a general indication of the requirements of these valuable hardwoods relating to their environment but rarely gave any precise values. The ash, wild cherry, sycamore and Norway maple require particular conditions, a good water supply, abundant food and a large amount of space but they do not tolerate badly drained, compact soil. These species are silviculturally demanding. Young trees often need considerable care, followed by very active silviculture to produce the high quality wood greatly in demand by the furniture and interior decoration industries. Despite numerous similarities, each of these hardwoods has its own particular relationship with its environment. Ash is especially demanding for water, the wild cherry is very sensitive to the compactness of the soil and prone to root asphyxiation but more drought resistant. The large maples grow well in cold areas with high air humidity. Our courrent knowledge of the growing conditions for ash, wild cherry, sycamore and Norway maple is not yet sufficiently precise to determine reliably the extent to which these hardwoods can be used for forestry and reforestation.