Abstract
Issues related to forest growth are essential in the forest management system. Reforestation, forest care, logging, and other activities require continuous improvement and new approaches to planning and implementation over time. This should be done in compliance with the principles of sustainable, continuous, and rational use of forest resources. Therefore, the study aimed to analyse scientifically based approaches to forest restoration, thinning, and principal felling and suggest optimal methods for growing Scots pine forests in Polissya. It was analysed scientific research, compared experimental data on different methods of Scots pine growing, and critically assessed the “Rules for Principal Felling” requirements for conducting Shelterwood cutting in Scots pine forests. On one- and three-year-old fell areas of Polissya, the optimal natural regeneration of Scots pine is observed in a wet subir, minimal – in a fresh bir, and average - in a fresh subir and a wet bir. On a one-year-old Scots pine fell area, dense natural regeneration is observed up to 50 m from the neighbouring forest. It becomes medium at 51-100 m and rare beyond 100 m. The maximum stocking (420-436 m³ per hectare) and optimal stand structure at 51 years can be achieved through linear thinning. Creating Scots pine forests in a fresh subir with Common oak is irrational, as oak cannot survive in the stand. Deciduous species, such as Common oak, appear naturally in such areas after 30 years and can form a second layer in the stand. The use of nature-saving technologies for clear-cutting allows for the preservation of undergrowth. The last round of shelterwood cuttings in pine forests with viable undergrowth of more than 8,000 units per hectare should not be scheduled in 4-7 years, as required by the “Rules for Principal Felling”. The study results can be used to improve regulatory documents and offer practical recommendations for the rational growing of Scots pine forests in Polissya