Individual variability as related to stand structure and soil condition ina Mediterranean oak coppice

Knowledge of spatial variability of coppices, and of factors that determine them, is essential to adapt silvicultural practices to heterogeneous stand s. Mediterranean oak coppices offer a good example of highly spatially vari able ecosystem. We examined here the detailed structure of a Quercus pubesc ens coppice stand growing on a Mediterranean habit. The objectives were (1) to document the individual variability of stools measuring environmental a nd morphological parameters, (2) to define coppice types using this informa tion and (3) to explore possible silvicultural implications. Exhaustive sam pling of a 30 mx30 m plot was conducted. Stool basal area, height, crown ar ea, and number of shoots per stool were measured. Distances between all sto ols located in the plot were recorded allowing the calculation of individua l polygon area and crowding index. A principal component analysis (PCA) sho wed that the spatial pattern of the stand could be related to soil heteroge neity and to population parameters. Based on this analysis, we defined five types of individual-coppice-stool. These types reflected both the variabil ity of the site (soil resource) and the structure of the stand (neighbourho od influences). Advanced silvicultural criteria based of a better knowledge of stand structure variability and taking into account spatial and environ mental heterogeneity may be introduced in the management of these coppices. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.