简介：Theneedforreforestationincorkoak（QuercussuberL.）areasischallengedbydifficulties.Principalamongtheseisherbivoryofyoungplants,vegetativecompetition,andslowgrowthratesofcorkoakseedlings.WeevaluatedtheearlydevelopmentofcorkoakseedlingstreatedusingtreesheltersandmulchinginnorthwesternTunisia.Wetestedthreetreesheltertreatments（non-vented,vented,andcontrol）toshieldseedlingsfromanimaldamageandfivemulchtypestocontrolcompetingvegetation（ItalianStonePine,Lentisk,combinationofItalianStonePineandLentisk（organicmulches）,gravel（inorganicmulch）andnomulch）.Attheendofthetwo-yearexperiment,shelteredseedlingswere89-99%tallerthanunshelteredseedlingsandhadhighernumbersandlengthsofshootgrowthflushes.Incontrast,bothstemdiametergrowthanddryweightbiomass（fromsamplesextractedaftertwoyears）weresignificantlyreducedinsidetreeshelters.Root-to-shootratiowasnotsignificantlydifferentinshelteredvs.unshelteredseedlings,suggestingthattreesheltersdonotadverselyaffectthisparameter.Mulchingalonedidnotfavourgrowth,butcouldbebeneficialwhencombinedwithtreeshelters.Thecombinationofventedtreesheltersandgravelmulchwasthemosteffectivetreatmentforpromotingdiameter,heightandstemvolumegrowth.