Best Practice Knowledge Base
1.9 Group planting
Group planting in a mixed beech-spruce plantation, Germany © Hernán Serrano-León
Group planting in forest restoration involves planting groups of trees rather than evenly spacing individual trees across an entire area. This mimics natural regeneration patterns, creating microhabitats that support biodiversity and protect young trees from harsh environmental conditions like wind or excessive sunlight, while promoting spatial heterogeneity and biodiversity at the stand scale. Implementation requires careful planning of the spatial design and distribution of the seedlings within the groups, as well as species selection, planting densities, and site preparation. As for traditional row planting, proper maintenance through weed control and monitoring is essential to ensure successful establishment.
I. Books or book chapters
| Nº | Title | Author | Chapter | Chapter author | Year | Focus region | Language | Summary |
| 1 | Restoring Forests and Trees for Sustainable Development: Policies, Practices, Impacts, and Ways Forward | Katila et al. | Advances in forest restoration management and technology | Stanturf et al. | 2024 | World | English | Compares different regeneration techniques from different practical perspectives, including group planting |
III. Scientific articles
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus region | Language | Type | Summary |
| 1 | Artificial canopy gaps accelerate restoration within an exotic Pinus radiata plantation | Forbes et al. | 2015 | New Zealand | English | Experiment | Small-scale artificial canopy gaps created by felling can accelerate the growth of native canopy species for restoration fromPinus radiata plantations |
| 2 | Development of tree quality, productivity and diversity in oak (Quercus robur and Quercus petraea) stands established by cluster plantings | Saha | 2012 | Europe | English | Doctoral thesis | Doctoral thesis on the effects of group planting on tree quality, productivity, and biodiversity |
| 3 | Lessons learned from oak cluster planting trials in central Europe | Saha et al. | 2017 | Europe | English | Conceptual review | Comprehensive review of the history, growth, tree quality development, and economic aspects of oak cluster plantings |
| 4 | Cluster planting: early enhancement of structural diversity in a reclaimed boreal forest | Pinno et al. | 2017 | Canada | English | Experiment | Studies the performance of group plantings in boreal forests |
| 5 | Oak Group Planting Produces a Higher Number of Future Crop Trees, with Better Spatial Distribution than Row Planting | Skiadaresis et al. | 2016 | Europe | English | Observational study | Studies the effect of group vs row planting of oaks on the density and quality of the oaks and other naturally regenerated tree species |
| 6 | Prospects of the classic method of forest restoration by planting seedlings: a review | Rorato et al. | 2020 | World | English | Narrative review | Highlightings the perspectives of the classic vs group planting, addressing the main advantages, disadvantages, and ecological implications |
| 7 | New approaches concerning forest restoration in a protected area of central Italy: an introduction | Mercurio et al. | 2010 | Italy | English | Descriptive study | Study case assessing the effects of group planting vs row planting in former agricultural lands on seedling performance |