Influence of thinning time and density on sprout development, biomass production and energy stocks of sawtooth oak stumps

The high potential values of sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) in fuelwood or bioenergy are recognized. Sprouting ability, sprout growth, biomass production and energy stocks in coppiced plantations of sawtooth oak were evaluated at the Hongya Mountain Forest Farm in Anhui Province, China. Experimental treatments applied in a split-plot design included three sprout thinning times and four sprout numbers reserved on each stump (1 sprout, 2 sprouts, 4 sprouts stump−1 and check). Sprout growth and biomass production per stump were significantly affected by the treatments and a significant positive relationship between stump basal diameter and sprout numbers produced was observed. After the third growing season, the highest total sprout biomass per stump was achieved in the treatment with thinning excess sprouts at the end of first growing season (December, 2007) and reserving 4 dominant sprouts per stump (T12S4, reaching 8.67 kg stump−1), while the lowest was found in the treatment with thinning the sprouts in August of the first growing season and reserving 1 dominant sprout per stump (T8S1, only 3.40 kg stump−1). Different treatments also influenced gross calorific values (GCV) of the components sampled from 3-year-old sprouts and the mean GCV of stem wood on an oven-dry weight basis was within the range of 18.45 ± 0.15 and 18.83 ± 0.12 kJ g−1. Similar to the sprout biomass production, the greatest total and stem energy stocks per stump were observed in T12S4 treatment, achieving 161.6 and 110.5 MJ stump−1, respectively. Based on the results from this study, thinning excess sprouts to reserve 4 sprouts per stump as early as age 1 could be proposed for the management of sawtooth oak coppice with cutting cycle of 3–5 years and stand density of 5000–6000 stump ha−1.

► Sprouting ability, sprout growth, biomass production and energy stocks in coppiced plantations of sawtooth oak were evaluated over 3 growing seasons.
► A significant positive relationship between stump basal diameter and sprout numbers produced was observed.
► The mean GCV of stem wood of sawtooth oak on an oven-dry weight basis was within the range of 18.45 ± 0.15 and 18.83 ± 0.12 kJ g−1.
► Reserve 4 sprouts per stump as could be proposed for the management of sawtooth oak coppice with cutting cycle of 3–5 years and stand density of 5000–6000 stump ha−1.