Über kurzfristigen aktionismus und langfristigen pragmatismus im umgang mit der spätblühenden traubenkirsche (Prunus serotina EHRH.)

Presented are recommendations for the future management of black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) in Europe, which were developed during a three-year project in the Biosphere Reserve "Valle del Ticino" in northern Italy. Objective of the project was to evaluate silvicultural management options that aim at reducing the long-term abundance of the species. The project demonstrated that intensive short-term mechanical control measures were not able to sustainably drive back the species. On the contrary, such intensive eradication measures should be avoided in the future, as they are rather beneficial for the pioneer character of black cherry. More integrative approaches aiming at increasing the canopy cover of the forests seemed far more recommendable, complemented by occasional fellings of large-diameter black cherries and thus underplanting resulting gaps with shade-tolerant native tree species (e. g. Carpinus betulus L.). Such an approach would aim at shading-out the species in the long term.