Voronezh, Voronezh, Russian Federation
Voronezh, Voronezh, Russian Federation
Practically nothing from scientific research is dedicated to definition of the maximum age of individual trees of oak and oak stands in conditions of the Central forest-steppe , although it is crucial to know these parameters for selecting genetic reserves, design of protected areas and natural monuments. The analysis of literary sources shows that individual trees of English oak, under certain conditions, can live up to 1500-2000 years old, and plantations - up to 500 years. Stelmuze Oak and Oak of Mamre, oak of Vardan Mamikomyan and Zaporozhian oak on Khortytsya Island are cited as example of such old-growth oaks, which crossed the millennial threshold. However, authors did not find such examples in the Voronezh, Kursk and Belgorod regions. On the example of survey of 38 old-growth oak trees and several oak stands, the authors show that the age limit for individual oak trees in the Central forest-steppe is 350-400 years, and for arrays of the oak forest stand - 250-300 years. And this applies not only to plantings of seed origin in rich forest conditions. Most of the examined old-growth oak trees (71 %) are in severely weakened or decaying condition. And if to consider only trees whose age is about 350 years or more, they all (100 %) belong to the category of drying. Old-growth oak plantings are not in better condition. Their weighted average condition category is 3.07±0.13, which is defined as a strong degree of weakness. This suggests that the surveyed old-growth trees of oak and old growth oak forest stands are located in the extreme age, and require special attention. There is an urgent need to conduct an objective inventory of not only all individual old-growth oak trees, but especially those areas in which they are placed, to give them a status that will allow them to survive.
oak, longevity of oak, old growth trees, old growth forest stands, condition of forests, categories of tree condition.
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