Influence of Rain Shelter and Site Preparation on Seedling Emergence ofPinus sylvestrisL. after Direct Seedling

The effects of altered moisture conditions on seedling emergence and establishment after direct seeding of Pinus sylvestris L. were studied for two seed‐lots in a field experiment. Seedling emergence and establishment were expressed as a percentage of seeded germinable seeds. Moisture conditions were altered by using rain shelters in combination with different site preparation methods with and without microsite preparation. When removal of the organic mat was used as a site preparation method, seedling emergence was 42.3% without rain shelters and 34.1% with rain shelters. For the same site preparation method, seedling emergence was 55.3% with microsite preparation and 21.4% without. When the ground organic mat was left on the soil the average seedling emergence was 29.4%. Grinding of the organic mat resulted in seedling emergence as good as removal of the organic mat, only in the absence of rain shelters and with microsite preparation. Irrespective of rain shelter or microsite preparation treatment, the site preparation method with the organic mat inverted in the seedbed resulted in almost no seedling emergence. Germination of wintering seeds during the second growing season was evident mainly in spots with ground organic material. In conclusion it seems that seedling emergence is dependent on the availability of capillary soil water.