Silviculture

Caucasian fir is a shade tolerant species which often grows in mixed forests in its natural range with other conifer and broadleaved species e.g., black and Scots pines, oriental spruce, and oriental beech. However, nearly pure stands are also found in favourable growing conditions. Both selection and shelterwood silvicultural systems are used for managing these forests.

There is little information on the best nursery methods for growing this species, so practice should be similar to that used for Abies alba. Growth in the early years is often slow, and the species can be vulnerable to frost damage and to browsing by deer. Canopy closure is likely by 20-25 years and subsequent growth will be steady. In Britain, in the few long-term plots with Caucasian fir yield classes of 14-16 m³ ha^-1 yr^-1 have been achieved suggesting an even-aged rotation of 55-70 years. However, both the shade tolerance of the species and management practices in its natural range suggest that it would be well suited to continuous cover forestry. Evidence from limited trials in continental Europe indicate that establishment, growth and performance appear little different from that of European silver fir (Abies alba).

The limited evidence under British conditions would indicate that Caucasian fir is unlikely to outperform other silver firs (e.g., A. grandis, A. amabilis, A. alba) on suitable sites. Most plants of this species grown in Britain are used for Christmas trees and this is likely to remain the major use unless the reputed greater drought tolerance of certain subspecies means that it is used for diversifying conifer forests in eastern Britain.