: Current management strategies for European Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests are
oriented towards the use of natural regeneration processes. They aim to maintain continuity of
stand structure by preserving seed-producing and shelter trees at varying densities. Soil scarification
techniques may be employed to support the natural regeneration of pine. Our study is based on data
from seven study sites in the German lowlands, where the basal areas of the overstorey pine trees
varied between 4 and 21 m2/ha. The soil scarification methods ranged from full surface ploughing
by tractor or horse through small-scale scarification by cultivators to sites without soil scarification.
Differences in the densities, spatial distributions, age structures, and above-ground development of
pine seedlings were evaluated. We analysed the spatial interactions between overstorey pine trees
and the densities of naturally regenerated pine seedlings as a function of the microsite types using
the multitype Strauss hard-core process (MSH) method. The results show a significant decrease in
height growth with increasing stand density after a period of 5 years, with seedling density and
spatial patterns strongly influenced by soil scarification. The MSH pairwise interaction analyses
revealed significant negative effects on seedling densities based on combinations of microsites and
overstorey trees