Is Silver fir (Abies alba) less vulnerable to extraction damage than Norway spruce (Picea abies)?

Inspection of Norway spruce and Silver fir on experimental plots in south-western Germany showed that Silver fir had suffered significantly less bark injuries than Norway spruce. Data from both federal forest inventories (1987, 2002) showed a similar species-specific vulnerability. Additional visual inspections of the basal cross-sections of trees removed from the experimental plots showed rather high proportions of butt rot in uninjured Norway spruce (51%). The proportion further increased to 93% in trees, which had sustained bark injuries. In contrast, decay symptoms were almost absent in uninjured Silver fir and less enhanced in trees with bark injuries (27%). Management implications for risk rating of tree species, as well as the necessity of implementing low-damage harvesting regimes, are discussed.