AUSTRIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE, vol.136, no.1, pp.45-66, 2019 (SCI-Expanded)
Many of the coppice stands in Turkey are in the process of conversion into high forest because of decreasing demand for fuel wood and negative effects of frequent clearcutting on soil, landscape and biodiversity. Most of these coppice stands are composed of pure and mixed oak stands. Main goal of this study is to determine the effects of canopy on soil erosion and carbon sequestration in a pure Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L. subsp. robur L.) coppice stand during the conversion process into high forest. Obtained results showed that average soil loss amounts were 0.35, 0.70 and 0.93 t/ha/yr and total carbon stock amounts were 80.07, 77.86 and 64.2 tC/ha respectively under high, moderate and low canopy. In other words, decrease of canopy density increase soil losses and decreases carbon stocks (p<0.05) and in turn if the canopy get reduced during the conversion process, C stocks are at risk.