Does the persistence of sweet chestnut depend on cultural inputs? Regeneration, recruitment, and mortality in Quercus- and Castanea-dominated forests

Abstract

[EN]Quercus secondary forests show a gradual transition toward mixed forests, with sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) becoming increasingly abundant in the western Spanish Central System.It shows a certain resistance to competitive displacement by Quercus pyrenaica.Sweet chestnut, Castanea sativa, is a component of European broadleaf forests and is one of the most managed trees.Our work aimed to identity the main factors that limit the establishment of C. sativa and to analyze the recruitment and mortality processes of C. sativa trees. The age, growth ring patterns, regeneration density, and the spatial structure of trees and saplings in 11 plots in the Spanish Central System were analyzed.s Chestnut seedling density increased with C. sativa basal area, but transition toward the sapling stage appeared limited owing to light availability. In Quercus pyrenaica secondary forests, sparse canopies did not constrain chestnut regeneration, and in old chestnut stands, C. sativa showed a certain resistance to competitive displacement. By contrast, mixed young coppices showed a high mortality, most likely due to competition with other vigorous resprouter.