SMART HORNBEAM STANDS (CARPINUS BETULUS L.) FROM THE WEST PLAIN

Hornbeam is a forest tree species widespread in our country’s plain and hill areas. Hornbeam forests can also be found in the West Plain and can be classified as smart forests. This concept, used during the last decade in worldwide silviculture, involves the existence of forests with an exceptional ecologic purpose. The present article intends to establish a set of clear and easy to identify and catalogue criteria that can be used to recognize smart hornbeam forests from the West Plain together with their characteristics. In order to achieve this, 14 site and stand characteristics were established, each with five evaluation classes. Smart hornbeam stands from the West Plain are distributed especially in Lunca Timisului, Oradea and Timisoara forest districts, at altitudes of 90-100 meters, on preluvisol and eutric cambisol. In addition, they are also present in forest plain station and in meadows, being characterised by relatively even-aged and relatively uneven-aged structures, ages between 60-70 years and by conservation forests and seed reservations production subunits.