Mortality, recruitment, and increment of trees in the Fagus-Abies-Picea stands of a primeval character in the lower mountain zone

From among three stands, situated in the lower mountain zone, and representing the association Dentario-glandulosae Fagetum, the Lopuszna I stand, being in the growing up stage and phase of selection forest, reached the highest increment (8.5 m(3)/ha/year, i.e. 1.3% of actual stand volume/ha measured at the end of the control period). Stands, Lopuszna II, being in the stage of an intensive break-up, and Lopuszna III, being in the stage of an initial break-up, reached smaller increments (5.4 and 6.3 m(3)/ha/year respectively, i.e. each 0.9% of actual stand volume/ha). The greatest tree mortality occurred in stands Lopuszna II and III (14.1 and 10.5 m(3)/ha/year respectively), and the smallest in the stand Lopuszna 1 (4.8 m(3)/ha/year). The knowledge about the value of mortality, recruitment, and increment, expressed in the number of trees and in volume units, may greatly help in planning the amount of cut which would secure sustainability of the forest ecosystem in the layer of trees in the economic as well as in the protection forests, under similar stand and site conditions, managed by the selection cutting permitting to realize the conception of a close-to-nature silviculture.