The Effect of Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Bark Stripping by Deer on Depreciation of Wood

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyse the changes in the infection rate development inside the beech stem as a result of browsing by deer (Cervus elaphus). The research materials were collected from three research plots located in the Polanów Forest Inspectorate from March to April 2020. For the study, 80 beech trees were selected, for which the size of the fallow tree, the percentage of the section taken from its centre infected with rot, and the number of years passed since the tree was wounded were determined. The study shows that the infection affects only the rings formed before the tree was injured. The average size of stem rot was 7.75% of its area, and it spread at the rate of 2.52% of the cross-sectional area per year. The analysis of the obtained results proved that both the size of the wound (splits) and the time elapsed since the tree was damaged are significantly correlated with each other. It is also possible to build a model for estimating the size of decay in stunted beech trees based on easy-to-determine predictors, such as maximum wound width and elapsed time since tree damage.