Evaluation of coppice management relics based on coppice stool value variability in the Drahany Highlands

Abstract

We assessed the value of coppice stools in connection with selected factors in three different areas of the Drahany Highlands (Czech Republic). The stool value was assessed by evaluating the morphological features. Stools were selected in forest stands with an age of 80 years and older. We analysed the potential influence of twenty-five variables (for example, the exposure, forest vegetation zone, potential natural vegetation, actual or historical owner, edaphic category, etc.) on the stool value. We found that the historical ownership, climatic region, and category of potential natural vegetation significantly affect the coppice stool value. We observed the occurrence of stools with a higher stool value in moderate climatic region type 3 (MT3), in scree and ravine woodlands and in the territory of the historical owners of the Mitrovsky and Salm-Reifferscheid families. According to our results, the probability of the occurrence of coppice stools decreases with an increasing stool value.