CONVERSION OF OLD, ABANDONED CHESTNUT FOREST INTO SIMPLE COPPICE AND FROM SIMPLE COPPICE FOREST INTO ORCHARDS IN TROPOJA, ALBANIA

The Tropoja District of northern Albania has many mature chestnut forests that were left without management from 1960 to 1980. In 1981, ten 2.1 ha permanent plots were established in two regions (Gashi and Krasniqe). These plots were surveyed, the number of chestnut trees and sprouts recorded, and the condition of the trees noted. The trees had suffered from chestnut blight disease (caused by Cryphonectria parasitica), ink disease (caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi), infestation by yellow mistletoe, and by other severe biotic and abiotic stress factors. In 1981, we established ten permanent plots, each measuring 2.1 ha. A phytosanitary inventory of the trees revealed an average infection by chestnut blight of over 90%. In 1982, five plots were converted first to coppice stands (1982 to 2002) and then into orchards (2003 to 2008), and five plots were left as controls. A final step of tree removal will be done in 2013. This project has greatly increased the quality of the timber produced by these stands and increased nut production by nearly eight-fold.