Research Activities on Chestnut: Recommendations for Terminology and Measurement Standards

Management of chestnut crops has to deal with two different concepts which are defined by two different goals: timber production and fruit production. Timber production may be reached with two different management methods: coppice and high forests. Timber producing chestnut forest in Europe are generally managed by the coppice system. Otherwise, fruit production system may be considered as orchards, although in some countries they are considered as forests. Two deal with the different aims it is necessary to be clear i) about the production goal, ii) about the management system. While timber production with chestnut high forest may be described and defined with the traditional and international widely accepted silvicultural terminology and definitions, this is not the case for coppice forests and orchards. Therefore the aim of this paper (elaborated by the group “Silviculture” during the COST Action G$ - Multidisciplinary Research on Chestnut) is to compile a document as a reference and as a work instrument for research and management activities in chestnut forests in order to ensure an efficient exchange and comparison of scientific data and information and to promote the dissemination of the research results to the users.