Crown–branching trade-offs mediate growth and resilience to drought, frost, and masting under moderate thinning in European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)
By Carla Allais On 22 January 2026 In All published articles, Non classé, Open Access, Research paper
Key message
Thinning boosts radial growth in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), but more is not always better: moderate thinning offers the best vitality balance by keeping resilience comparable to heavily thinned trees, while reducing the sensitivity to late frost and the interannual growth variability and avoiding excessive branching in the crown.
Keywords
Forestry; Stress impact; Dendroecology
Publication
Larysch, E., Schindler, Z., Hirsch, M. et al. Crown–branching trade-offs mediate growth and resilience to drought, frost, and masting under moderate thinning in European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Annals of Forest Science 83, 3 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-025-01319-1
Handling editor
Andreas Bolte