Assessment of the Empirical Management Method of Coppice Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Forests Practiced by the Monks and its Effect on the Availability of Forest Soil Resources in Mount Athos, Greece

Research on Mount Athos reveals that the empirical chestnut forest management method practiced by monks significantly impacts soil nutrient availability. Analysis of 10, 20, and 40-year-old coppice chestnut stands showed increased organic matter and nutrient concentrations in younger (10 years) and older (40 years) stands compared to intermediate-aged (20 years) ones. However, the cultivation treatments also led to severe degradation of soil nutrient resources, highlighting a critical trade-off between forest productivity and soil health.

PAPAIOANNOU, A. (2013). Assessment of the Empirical Management Method of Coppice Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Forests Practiced by the Monks and its Effect on the Availability of Forest Soil Resources in Mount Athos, Greece. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 41(1), 317. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha4118288