Best Practice Knowledge Base
3.2 Enrichment planting/underplanting
Diverse tree mixture planting. IDENT Freiburg, Germany © Hernán Serrano-León
Enrichment planting is aimed at enhancing the biodiversity and ecological function of degraded or secondary forests. It involves the deliberate introduction of target tree species, often due to their high ecological or economic value, into areas where natural regeneration is insufficient or dominated by less desirable species. This method accelerates forest recovery by improving canopy structure, increasing species diversity, and promoting habitat creation for wildlife. It requires careful species selection in consideration of restoration targets, as well as site conditions, and eventually, site preparation measures. Furthermore, proper monitoring and competition control are vital for long-term success.
I. Guidelines
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus Region | Language | Summary | Link |
| 1 | Enrichment planting of oaks | Morrisey et al. | 2007 | US | English | Guidelines for the establishment of oaks below the tree canopy in the Hardwoods Region of the US. | https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/fnr/fnr-225.pdf |
| 2 | Successful underplanting | Kerr and Haufe | 2016 | UK | English | Comprehensive guide for underplanting | https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2022/02/underplantingguideversion10_11october2016.pdf |
| 3 | Underplanting of beech under spruce – site preparation and plant type | BFW | 2005 | Austria | English | General indications for the establishment of beech under the canopy of Norway spruce stands | https://www.waldwissen.net/en/forestry/silviculture/forest-conversion/underplanting-of-beech-site-preparation |
II. Books or book chapters
| Nº | Title | Author | Chapter | Chapter author | Year | Focus region | Language | Summary | Link |
| 1 | Continuous Cover Forestry: Theories, Concepts, and Implementation | Pommerening | How do I get started with continuous cover forestry?: Underplanting | - | 2023 | World | English | Specific guidelines and technical recommendations for underplanting | https://www.wiley.com/en-au/Continuous+Cover+Forestry%3A+Theories%2C+Concepts%2C+and+Implementation-p-9781119895305 |
| 2 | Waldbau auf Ökologischer Grundlage | Bartsch et al. | Bestandesbegründung - Nachverbesserung, Ergänzung unf Pflege | - | 2020 | Germany | German | Guidelines for enrichment plantings, particularly in young stands facing mortality | https://www.utb.de/doi/book/10.36198/9783838587547 |
| 3 | The practice of silviculture: Applied forest ecology | Ashton and Kelty | The arrangement, composition, and methods of planting - Enrichment planting and underplanting in native forests | - | 2017 | World | English | Guidelines for enrichment underplanting | https://www.wiley-vch.de/de/fachgebiete/naturwissenschaften/the-practice-of-silviculture-978-1-119-27095-9 |
III. Scientific articles
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus region | Language | Type | Summary | Link |
| 1 | Enrichment Planting in Secondary Forests: a Promising Clean Development Mechanism to Increase Terrestrial Carbon Sinks | Paquette et al. | 2009 | World | English | Conceptual review | On the potential use of enrichment planting for carbon sequestration | https://www.jstor.org/stable/26268050 |
| 2 | Underplanting is a practical silvicultural method for regenerating and diversifying conifer stands in Britain | Stokes et al. | 2020 | UK | English | Experiment | The performance of different central European tree species is evaluated under different partial harvesting methods for underplanting | https://academic.oup.com/forestry/article/94/2/219/5878841 |
| 3 | Underplanting to sustain future stocking of oak (Quercus) in temperate deciduous forests | Dey et al. | 2012 | World | English | Narrative review | Review of silvicultural approaches for the underplanting of oak | https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/2012/ja_2012_dey_001.pdf |
| 4 | Growth and mortality in underplanted tree seedlings in response to variations in canopy closure of Norway spruce stands | Löf et al. | 2007 | Sweden | English | Experiment | Performance of different broadleaved species planted at different densities under Norway spruce canopy | https://academic.oup.com/forestry/article/80/4/371/586949 |
| 5 | Effects of root trenching of overstorey Norway spruce (Picea abies) on growth and biomass of underplanted beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) saplings | Petriţan et al. | 2011 | Germany | English | Experiment | Effects of root trenching of Norway spruce on the performance of underplanted beech seedlings | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10342-010-0473-1 |
| 6 | Establishment and growth of native hardwood and conifer seedlings underplanted in thinned Douglas-fir stands | Maas-Hebner et al. | 2005 | US | English | Experiment | Effects of different thinning intensities on the performance of underplanted hardwood species | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037811270500023X |