The growth of young oak trees in shelters

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Abstract
Shelters are 1.2 m tall plastic tubes which protect trees from animal damage and improve growth by creating a ‘greenhouse effect’ round each tree. After 3 years the mean height growth of sessile oak transplants in shelters was 142 cm compared with 45 cm in a mesh guard and 27 cm for unprotected trees and the average stem volume was 118, 37 and 19 cm 3 respectively. There was no difference in growth in a range of sizes of conical and cylindrical shaped shelters and an 8 cm diameter cylinder is large enough for oak. Other experiments have confirmed that shelters made from a variety of plastics are equally effective but many lack adequate durability. Work continues to develop improved shelters and it appears that for oak a shelter effect for 2 to 3 years, support for 5 years and deer protection for 8 years would be ideal. In 1983/84 about a million shelters were used in Britain and trials have started in other countries.

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