Betula pubescens 'Pendula', or Weeping Downy Birch, is a weeping tree and a cultivar of Betula pubescens, the Downy Birch. The most common of these are Phytophtora cactorum (Leb. Due to the self-pruning of branches, silver birch stems are usually free of living branches up to 5–7 m height, i.e. 59 p. [in Finnish with English summary], Genetic variation and breeding strategy of birch in Finland, Effect of the latitude of seed origin on moose (, Directionality in fruit dispersal models for anemochorous forest trees, Short-rotation forestry of birch, maple, poplar and willow in Flanders (Belgium) I – Biomass production after 4 years of tree growth, Nordic Mountain Birch Ecosystems. According to Finnish studies, pure and managed silver birch stands reach the culmination of height growth at stand ages of 10–20 years and of volume growth 5 years later (Raulo, 1977; Oikarinen, 1983). No trees are known to survive of this cultivar. czerepanovii (Orlova) Hämet-Ahti), a subspecies of downy birch, forms the subarctic and subalpine timber line and a wide birch forest zone between the boreal coniferous forest and treeless tundra in Fennoscandia and north-western Russia (Jonsell, 2000; Wielgolaski, 2001). Oikarinen, 1983; Rytter et al., 2008). For forestry, birch is the most important broadleaved tree species in Northern and Eastern Europe. Although birches occur throughout almost the whole of Europe, the most abundant birch resources are in the temperate and boreal forests of Northern Europe. In practice, the difference in tree ages between conifers and birches should be 5–10 years in naturally regenerated stands. Growes. There are several risks of failure in natural regeneration. A few empirical fertilization trials in Finland have shown only a weak growth response to fertilization (Oikarinen and Pyykkönen, 1981). Small or bushy forms of curly birch not suitable for wood production can be used as decorative garden and park trees. Long, brownish-yellow male catkins like … Because both species are shade intolerant, the competition between pine and birch is stronger than that between birch and spruce. (1997). In Nordic countries, typical sites for Scots pine are too poor for silver birch. In Britain, Cameron (1996) recommends a shelterwood system to provide some overhead protection, which is beneficial for regeneration. When managed for pulp wood production, young downy birch stands should be thinned at 4–6 m height to a density of 2000–2500 stems ha−1. The occurrence of natural hybrids between Betula pendula Roth and B. pubescens Ehrh. Birch trees are pruned for the first time at the height of 6–7 m up to a pruning height of 2.5–3 m. The number of pruned trees is 600–700 stems ha−1. Birch crowns in dense stands are much shorter than those in open stands (Figure 4). The final felling takes place at the age of 40–50 years. In Central and Southern Europe, where the proportion of birch out of the growing stock is only a few per cent, birch has only a marginal role in forestry. After this, growth starts to decline and, before the age of 100 years, the vitality of birch trees decreases and they become more susceptible to decay and other defects. Betula pendula - Silver Birch is one of the UK’s most well-known and hardiest native trees which offer so much interest due to its graceful habit and papery/peeling white bark with brown contrast. The diagonally spreading branches have thin twigs. It was one of the first trees to regenerate itself in this country after the Ice Age. The establishment procedure for a curly birch stand is similar to that for normal silver birch. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) has a significant effect on birch regeneration in the northern reindeer management area (Helle, 2001). Coppice shoots have bigger leaves, higher leaf area and higher chlorophyll content, as well as a denser crown than the seed-born plants (Kauppi et al., 1988; Ferm and Kauppi, 1990). Country Reports. The influence of stand density on the living crown ratio in silver birch stands (according to Niemistö, 1995a). Silver birch is even more shade intolerant than downy birch. Birches are ectomycorrhizal and provide homes for many large and colourful fungi, including several from the genera Amanita, Cortinarius, Lactarius, Leccinum and Russula. These recommendations are in line with earlier findings from Belgium (e.g. However, mixtures of silver birch and Scots pine can be found on the best site types for pine. 600 stems ha−1, whereas in a Norway spruce stand, the corresponding stem number can be ca. The recommended number of overstorey trees with well-developed crowns is ∼20 to 40 trees per hectare. 1. Read more about this product Rapport, A site-index model for pure and mixed stands of, Simulating the influence of initial stand structure on the development of young mixtures of Norway spruce and birch, Models for predicting individual tree height increment and tree diameter in young stands in southern Sweden, Birch production and utilization for energy, Coppicing as a means for increasing hardwood biomass production, Vegetation dynamics in central European forest ecosystems (near-natural as well as managed) after storm events, Forstliche Hilfstafeln Schriftenreihe der forstlichen Bundes-Versuchsanstalt Mariabrunn Band II, Kommisionsverlag der Österreichischen Staatdruckerei, Growth of mixed birch-coniferous stands in relation to pure coniferous stands at similar sites in south-eastern Norway, Yield and management of mixed stands of spruce, birch and aspen, Changed thinning regimes may increase carbon stock under climate change: a case study from a Finnish boreal forest, Models for assessing timber grade distribution and economic value of standing birch trees, Spruce diameter growth in young mixed stands of Norway spruce (, Broadleaved tree species in conifer-dominated forestry: regeneration and limitation of saplings in southern Sweden, Site index curves for natural birch stands in Finland, On self- and cross-incompatibility shown by, Production of Genetically Improved Birch Seed and Micropropagated Seedlings. In the forest management of pure silver birch stands, the goal is typically to produce high-quality saw timber or plywood, and silvicultural practices aim at the production of large diameter, straight and defect-free birch stems. Crop tree management is a frequently employed silvicultural concept in western and central Europe. ssp. Both silver and downy birch are able to coppice, but vigorous coppicing is regarded as a typical feature of downy birch. Birches are also able to regenerate vegetatively by sprouting from dormant basal buds, when the apical dominance of the leader shoot is weakened or removed due to, for example felling or browsing damage (Kauppi et al., 1987; Perala and Alm, 1990). Relationship between stand mean diameter and maximum stem number according to the self-thinning models by Hynynen (1993). In Nordic countries, birch is the most productive species of all the commercially important native broadleaved tree species. Name of the medicinal product To be specified for the individual finished product. Seeding is frequently mentioned as a viable option for regeneration of birch in textbooks but so far has not been commonly practiced. Birch is also a very important commercial tree species in Russia and in Belarus. Moose (Alces alces L.) cause significant damage in young birch plantations in the Nordic countries (Heikkilä and Raulo, 1987; Persson et al., 2005; Viherä-Aarnio and Heikkilä, 2006), and it is often impossible to regenerate birch by planting because of the high risk for moose damage. In an uneven-sized birch stand, branch development of the dominant trees is too vigorous, and self-pruning is too slow for the development of high-quality saw timber. which occurs in birch stands especially during rainy wet summers. Gobakken and Naesset (2002) developed a diameter growth model for young spruce growing in mixture with birch in Norway. Birch leaf is the common name for the leaves of the tree Betula pendula Roth and/or Betula pubescens Ehrh. In Europe, two commercially important treelike birch species occur naturally: silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.). The growth of Norway spruce and birch in young stands of different mixtures has been described for a large number of experimental plots (Braathe, 1988; Mård, 1996; Brække and Granhus, 2004; Repola et al., 2006). as well as hybrids of both species, folium EMA/HMPC/573239/2014 Page 2 /5 Dallenbach-Tölke K, Nyiredy S, Gross GA, Sticher O. Flavonoid glycosides from Betula pubescens and Betula pendula. or hybrids of both species. Within the birch family, Betulaceae, Silver Birch is the most common species in Britain. Birch-leaf rust is caused by Melampsoridium betulinum (Fr.) Betula pubescens Although silver birch ( B . There is even a demand for good quality curly-grained branch wood. In Finland, where the management of silver birch is the most widely practiced in Europe, the typical rotation in silver birch plantations varies between 40 and 60 years depending on the site productivity and the quality of the growing stock (Oikarinen, 1983) (Table 3). Sites suitable for curly birch are light fertile soils: heavy clay or peaty soil should be avoided. Proceedings of the IDS Betula Symposium 2–4 October 1992, Models for the regeneration establishment and the development of established seedlings in uneven-aged, Norway spruce dominated forest stands of southern Finland, Models for prediction of mortality in even-aged forest, Models for individual tree mortality in Norway, A growth simulator for Swedish forests based on data from the national forest survey, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Institutionen för skogsskötsel. According to the self-thinning models for even-aged stands developed by Hynynen (1993), the maximum stem number of a silver birch stand with a mean diameter of 25 cm is ca. In April male and female catkins occur on the same tree, and the leaves turn yellow from late summer into autumn. Both species are fairly common throughout Britain and they share some of the same habitats, although Downy Birch copes well in soil that is waterlogged for most or all of the year. As a mature tree this specimen is more compact than Betula pendula, forming a … Even if the total yield of mixed stands with birch does not exceed the sum of the components, some additional yield can be realized by favouring birch early in the rotation and spruce and/or pine later (Frivold and Groven, 1996; Frivold and Frank, 2002). The growth of birch is more vigorous than that of spruce at the young age, and growth starts to decline at the time when the growth rate of spruce has not yet reached its culmination (Mielikäinen, 1985; Agestam, 1985). As the most common broadleaved species in northern Europe, birches are very important for the biodiversity of coniferous forests. Because it is very slow burning, once dried this grey fungus was used in the distant past as a means of carrying 'fire' from one place to another. The current practices and silvicultural recommendations, based on research directed at high-quality timber production in silver birch stands, are reviewed. Abstract In Europe, two commercially important treelike birch species occur naturally: silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.). In Finnish silver birch plantations with planting density of 1600 trees per hectare, first commercial thinning is usually carried out at the dominant height of 13–15 m to a density of 700–800 trees ha−1. Abundant seed crops are repeated at 2–3 years intervals in Northern Europe (Sarvas, 1948; Koski and Tallqvist, 1978). Finnish Forest Research Institute, Sealing-off of pruned branch stumps of curly birch and subsequent spread of discolouration into the stemwood, Thinning intensity and growth of mixed spruce-birch stands on drained peatlands in Finland, Biomass functions for Scots pine, Norway spruce and birch in Finland. 20 per cent to the stump and coarse roots (Repola et al., 2007). Correspondingly, total volume yield in managed silver birch plantations up to the age of 60 years varies between 360 and 560 m3 ha−1 (MAI 6 and 9.3 m3 ha−1, respectively) (Oikarinen, 1983). Birches were pioneers in the march northwards of trees following the retreat of the polar ice cap at the end of the last Ice Age, about 8000 years ago. Their light small pollen grains (Johnsson, 1974) are produced in huge quantities and carried long distances by the wind (Hjelmroos, 1991). 2. The root systems of birch trees are often deep and intensive. Their results indicated that growing birch overstorey in a spruce plantation up to commercial volume is profitable in Finnish economic and technical conditions. Rapport 3017, Statens naturvårdverk, Influence of initial spacing and row-to-row distance on the crown and branch properties and taper of silver birch (, Influence of initial spacing and row-to-row distance on the growth and yield of silver birch (, The growth potential of downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh) in Ireland, Natural regeneration of Norway spruce, Scots pine and birch under Norway spruce shelterwoods of varying densities on a mesic-dry site in southern Sweden, Growth and yield models for silver birch (, The effect of thinning and fertilization on the growth of pubescent birch (, Fine root morphological adaptations in Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch along a latitudinal gradient in boreal forests, Modelling the risk of snow damage to forests under short-term snow loading, Vydala Technická univerzita vo Zvolene v Edi, Effect of coppicing on root system morphology and its significance for subsequent shoot regeneration of birches, Regeneration silviculture of birch – a review, Different moose densities and accompanied changes in tree morphology and browse production, Microbial Activities in Soils Under Scots Pine, Norway Spruce and Silver Birch. The wide and continuous area of distribution, outcrossing breeding system, long-distance dispersal of pollen by wind, abundant seed production and good dispersal of seeds all maintain gene flow from one population to another, wide genetic variation within populations and continuous variation among birch populations (Hamrick et al., 1992; Eriksson et al., 2003). There are also scattered occurrences in the eastern parts of Central Europe. Buy Downy Birch Trees - Betula pubescens trees online. Severe damage is often caused in young birch plantations by mammalian herbivores, i.e. Fencing is effective, but, for example in Finland, it is only used when planting highly valuable seedlings like curly birch. The number of basal buds and ability to produce coppice varies greatly from tree to tree and are affected by the age of the mother tree, site quality, stump height and felling time (Ferm and Kauppi, 1990). Birch is a typical pioneer tree species with rapid early growth. Its papery-white bark - almost pink in young trees - distinguishes it from the downy birch ( Betula pubescens ) which has reddish bark that turns grey with age and is usually found in wetter habitats in the uplands. On the best sites, birch can reach a height of up to 24–25 m within 30 years (Oikarinen, 1983; Eriksson et al., 1997). It is similar in appearance to Silver Birch but has a more upright habit and a darker bark. In general, downy birch occurs slightly more frequently in more northern, cool and humid areas than silver birch. In Finland, curly birches can be found in the southern third of the country, but the tree can be cultivated as far north as Lapland. Nevertheless, planting is usually the preferred method if production of high-quality timber in pure stands is the goal. Prices can vary considerably, depending on the quality of the curly grain, log length and diameter and consignment size. (2005) demonstrated the effect of different mixtures on total production using a Swedish growth model. However, they are very adaptive to changes in their growth environment (Laitakari, 1935; Köstler et al., 1968; Ostonen et al., 2007). Betula pendula Betula pubescens Alnus glutinosa Silver birch Downy birch Alder. While the branches of Silver Birch are pendant, those of the Downy Birch are more erect; other distinguishing features are the orange-tinge to the bark of a Downy Birch; and the fact that the leaves of Silver Birch are quite coarsely toothed at the margin while those of Downy Birch are more finely serrated. A true pioneer species which rapidly colonises open areas and supports over 300 species of insect. Götmark et al., 2005; Eerikäinen et al., 2007). Agestam (1985) found ca. However, silver birch and Scots pine can be grown successfully in a mixed stand through intensive silviculture (Mielikäinen, 1980). Natural regeneration is the most common and preferred regeneration method for birch in many European countries. 15 years after an intensive first thinning (Oikarinen, 1983). 10 m3 ha−1 for rotations between 30 and 60 years (Dahlberg et al., 2006). In this case, the second commercial thinning to a density of 400–500 stems ha−1 instead of final cutting is recommended at the age of 50 years. Dominant birch trees are capable of maintaining their vitality throughout the commercial rotation period, and their stem quality is often better than if growing in pure birch stands. More often, the vigorous coppicing of downy birch is regarded as a silvicultural problem because the sprouts are strong competitors to conifer seedlings. Local damage can be caused by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimm.). Individual tree shelters are also used, but this is a rather costly method and is mainly employed for the most valuable birch seedlings, e.g. Genus Betula can be deciduous trees or shrubs, usually colouring well in autumn and often with striking white, pink, or peeling brown bark; separate male and female catkins open before or with the leaves in spring . Betula pendula is one of Britain’s most common native trees and is also widespread across Europe. In birch stands, more light reaches the forest floor thus favouring the development of ground vegetation. Early thinnings in mixed pine stands should leave enough birches and other broadleaved species as moose forage (Härkönen, 1998). Site preparation promotes natural regeneration (e.g. dry soils with low solute concentration, whereas downy birch dominates wet, cool, fine textured and poorly aerated soils (Sutinen et al., 2002). It thrives in dry woodlands, downs and heaths and technical conditions be up 5–7. 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