The oak on this picture grows on the Montis property “Baldio de Carvalhais” on a fire protection strip, that got build to ensure a controlled burning. It demonstrates what an extraordinary regeneration and sprouting capability oaks may have.
This picture shows that some of the sprouts have already reached a height of over two meters. A surprising length for an age of less than one year. Normally you would expect a length more closer to 50 cm to one meter.
Reasons for the strong growth could be the nutrient rich soil, present after a fire and the rather moist habitat of the plant, permitting a growth even in the dry summer.
Thanks to this ability, in the past, oaks were used for coppicing. Especially in France and Germany this forest management technique was common to produce wood and other wood products.
Coppicing is a form of woodland management where the trees are cut just above the ground every 10 – 30 years. Because of the natural regeneration of certain tree species like poplars, oaks and linden trees, it was not needed to plant new trees. This was a very easy form of forest management and was especially used in communal areas for the production of fire wood.
Oak coppicing was particularly common to grow trees for the extraction of tannins out of the bark. These tannins were then used to tan leather.
In Germany this kind of forest management became uncommon during the past century, but it was rediscovered in recent years and employed mainly in poplar and birch plantations for energy production.
For us it is nice to see such examples, since it shows us that oaks can regenerate themselves independently by sprouting after a partial or complete dying off of the above-ground parts of the plant.
This yields hope, that even if oaks do not survive a fire, they can always come back.
This picture shows that some of the sprouts have already reached a height of over two meters. A surprising length for an age of less than one year. Normally you would expect a length more closer to 50 cm to one meter.
Reasons for the strong growth could be the nutrient rich soil, present after a fire and the rather moist habitat of the plant, permitting a growth even in the dry summer.
Thanks to this ability, in the past, oaks were used for coppicing. Especially in France and Germany this forest management technique was common to produce wood and other wood products.
Coppicing is a form of woodland management where the trees are cut just above the ground every 10 – 30 years. Because of the natural regeneration of certain tree species like poplars, oaks and linden trees, it was not needed to plant new trees. This was a very easy form of forest management and was especially used in communal areas for the production of fire wood.
Oak coppicing was particularly common to grow trees for the extraction of tannins out of the bark. These tannins were then used to tan leather.
In Germany this kind of forest management became uncommon during the past century, but it was rediscovered in recent years and employed mainly in poplar and birch plantations for energy production.
For us it is nice to see such examples, since it shows us that oaks can regenerate themselves independently by sprouting after a partial or complete dying off of the above-ground parts of the plant.
This yields hope, that even if oaks do not survive a fire, they can always come back.
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Capacidade de regeneração dos carvalhos
O carvalho desta fotografia cresce numa das propriedades da Associação Montis (Baldio de Carvalhais), mais especificamente numa área de proteção estruturada para possibilitar ocorrência de fogos controlados. Isto demonstra a capacidade extraordinária que os carvalhos podem ter para regenerar.
Esta fotografia demonstra que, alguns dos rebentos já atingiram uma altura superior a dois metros. Este tamanho é surpreendente tendo em conta a sua idade, inferior a um ano. Seria de esperar que o seu tamanho estivesse compreendido entre os 50 cm e um metro.
Uma das razões para este crescimento acentuado pode ser o solo rico em nutrientes, após o fogo controlado e a humidade relativa do solo, permitindo que o crescimento ocorra mesmo no período mais seco do verão.
Graças a esta capacidade, no passado, nos carvalhos era aplicada a técnica de talhadia. Esta técnica de gestão florestal era usada regularmente em especial na França e Alemanha para produção de madeira e outros produtos relacionados. Talhadia é uma forma de gestão de árvores de produção de madeira onde as árvores são cortadas junto à base num intervalo de tempo que pode ir de 10 a 30 anos. Devido à aptidão para efetuar uma regeneração natural por parte de certas espécies como o choupo, o carvalho e tília, não havia a necessidade de plantar novas árvores. Este era um processo de gestão florestal fácil de aplicar e era especialmente usado em áreas comunitárias para produção de lenha. Era particularmente usada em carvalhos para proceder também à extração de taninos (substâncias responsáveis por evitar que a planta seja atacada por herbívoros e alguns microrganismos). Estes taninos eram usados para curtir curtumes.
Na Alemanha este tipo de gestão florestal caiu em desuso durante o último século, mas voltou a ganhar alguma importância recentemente sendo aplicado essencialmente em plantações de choupos e bétulas com o intuito de produzir energia.
Para nós é reconfortante ver exemplos como este carvalho, pois, mostra-nos que os carvalhos têm a capacidade de se auto-regenerarem rebentando mesmo após uma parcial ou total morte da planta acima do solo.
Isto traz esperança, de que mesmo que os carvalhos não sobrevivam ao fogo, possam sempre renascer.
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