Development of necrotic disease and health condition of trees of selective quality in a systematically tended beech pole-stage stand

We compare the results of observations of bark necrotic disease and defoliation of beech assimilatory organs carried out in 1996 and 2000. A systematically managed, 53-year old beech pole-stage stand in Central Slovakia was chosen as an object of our research. It was found that necrotic disease had an increasing trend. The degree of necrotic disease indicated on trees of selective quality that are the main focus of interest of silvicultural managers was lower than the degree of necrotic disease on the other trees in the same stand layer (trees of unselective quality). The defoliation of assimilatory organs was not influenced by an increasing trend of necrotic disease development. It was confirmed that the method of crown thinnings realised with the aim to support the trees of selective quality, combined with sanitary selection, was reasonable also in beech pole-stage stands affected by necrosis. During the research period in the studied stand we detected four tracheomycotic fungi of Nectria (Fr.) Fr. genus and two species of imperfect fungi of the genus Cylindrocarpon Wollenw. and Verticillium Nees.