The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL

C28 Sonian Forest

A case from Brussels

Sonian Forest (sources: Esri, Airbus DS, USGS, NGA, NASA, CGIAR, N Robinson, NCEAS, NLS, OS, NMA, Geodatastyrelsen, Rijkswaterstaat, GSA, Geoland, FEMA, Intermap and the GIS user community; Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community)

General information on the Sonian Forest.

Predominant forest community 9120 – Atlantic acidophilous beech forests with holly (Ilex aquifolium) and sometimes also yew (Taxus baccata) in the shrub layer (Quercion robori-petraeae or Ilici-Fagenion)
9160 – Sub-Atlantic and medio-European oak or oak-hornbeam forests of the Carpinion betuli
91E0 – Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior  (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)
Main tree species Fagus sylvatica (65 %), Quercus spp. (15 %), Pinus spp. (4 %), Acer spp. (4 %)
Altitude 50–150 m
Soil type Mainly dry loamy Luvisols (Tertiary calcium-rich sandstone substrate, covered with a 0.5–4 m thick layer of Quaternary niveo-aeolic loess deposits of the Weichselian glaciation)
Total forest area 5000 ha
Main management types Selective thinnings with the aim of producing high-quality wood.
Clearcuts in certain stands or to create clearings
Volume 400 m³/ha
Basal area 28 m²/ha
Annual increment 5–15 m³/ha (total 30 000–50 000 m³)
Annual harvest 3–4 m³/ha (total 15 000–20 000 m³)