Silvicultural and mensurational structure of Pinus nigra Stands in Ukraine based on the 2011 state forest inventory data

Yurii Siruk*, Iryna Siruk, Oleg Prut

qarpofor@gmail.com

Received: 20.06.2026 Revised: 05.09.2026 Accepted: 23.09.2026 Published: 02.10.2026
Retrieved from Vol. 29, No. 3, 2026 Pages: 28-43
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Abstract

The study aimed to identify the territorial, forest-site, silvicultural, and mensurational patterns governing the formation of Crimean pine and Austrian pine stands in Ukraine. The analysis was based on a compartment-level database of the State Forest Inventory as of 2011. Structured queries in the Microsoft SQL Server database management system, weighted mean calculations, and regression analysis of age-related changes in stand mensurational characteristics were applied. The total area of the studied stands amounted to 134.1 thousand ha, of which 99.8% was occupied by Crimean pine (P. nigra var. pallasiana) and 0.2% by Austrian pine (P. nigra var. austriaca). Most Crimean pine stands were concentrated in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, whereas Austrian pine stands had a local distribution, predominantly in the western part of the country. Very dry and dry forest-site conditions accounted for 84.8% of the total area of Crimean pine stands, primarily in dry fairly fertile site types and dry poor site types. Austrian pine occurred more frequently in fresh fairly fertile and fertile site types. Artificially established and pure stands predominated in the structure of both taxa. Under dry site conditions, artificially established stands accounted for 91.5% of Crimean pine stands and 98.5% of Austrian pine stands. The highest site-quality classes, mean heights, mean diameters, growing stock volumes, and proportions of merchantable timber were generally recorded in fairly fertile and fertile site types. By contrast, the productive potential of stands growing in dry poor site types was constrained by moisture deficiency and low soil fertility. The diversity of associated tree species increased with increasing site trophicity: P. sylvestris predominated in poor site types, whereas the contribution of broadleaved hardwood species increased in fairly fertile and fertile site types

Keywords

Crimean pine; Austrian pine; forest-site types; growing stock volume; productivity; merchantable timber; growth dynamics

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Siruk, Yu., Siruk, I., & Prut , O. (2026). Silvicultural and mensurational structure of Pinus nigra Stands in Ukraine based on the 2011 state forest inventory data. Scientific Horizons, 29(3), 28-43. https://doi.org/10.48077/scihor3.2026.28