About the growth and age of the three most important Suntel-beeches (Fagus sylvatica L. var. suentelensis SCHELLE) in Germany. 1. The "Kopfbuche" of Gremsheim (Fagus sylvatica L-var. tortuosa-pendula)

Abstract

The morphology of the most important German Suntel-beech Kopfbuche of Gremsheim - (Fig. 1, 2) is described. Due to the plagio-orthotropic and plagio-geotropic growth of the branches and the screw-formed axes the tree height of the Gremsheim beech is limited by 14 m. The height growth is very slow between 6 cm and 7 cm per year. The stem is very short, thick and already is forked in a height between 1,5 and 2 metres (Fig. 3). This results in a two-humped crown (Fig. 1, 2). The radial increment is very high in mean 5.15 mm per year (Fig. 6a, b). Also the length growth of the main branches at the crown periphery near ground is above average in mean 27 cm-32 cm (Tab. 1, 4, Fig. 7); At the top of the crown the length growth is reduced (17 cm-23 cm). The age of the "Kopfbuche" of Gremsheim is about 210 years. The influence of the climate factors on the radial increment of the Gremsheim Suntelbeech and of normal beeches from the edge of the forest is shown (Fig. 8, 9). Very narrow correlations between the climatic factors of special months of the previous and current year and the radial increment could be found.