Creation of multi-layered canopy structures in young oak-dominated urban woodlands – The ‘ecological approach’ revisited

We investigated the stand structure of ten young urban woodlands established in Southern Scandinavia during the 1970s and 1980s according to the ecological approach, which advocated the use of many different species of trees and shrubs to create complex canopy structures as soon as possible after establishment to promote recreation and biodiversity. Tree height and live crown depths were measured and analysed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess the forest structure in terms of canopy stratification. The results show that the current canopy structures could be classified into seven different two- and three-layered structural types which had evolved as a combination of differences in management frequency and the initial species composition. Two layered stands were characterized by lower management frequency compared to three layered stands and stands in transition to three layers. They were also established with a lower proportion of understory species and a higher proportion of shade tree species. The total number of species at the establishment did not influence how stands were categorized. The two main conclusions are that recurrent thinnings is a key factor for successful management of young, species rich forest plantations, and that species composition can increase the resilience towards management neglect. Instead of aiming at maximising total species number it is more reasonable to focus on a few key species in each layer. We conclude that three-layered canopy structures can be created already after twenty five years, which should encourage planners and practitioners to incorporate multilayered stands in future urban woodland creation.