Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks for the fundamental administrative and technical unit used to regulate the harvest (yield) in different types of forest management systems, whether they are even-aged (regular) or uneven-aged (irregular).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
• Definition of Felling Series: A felling series is a self-contained unit of forest management formed with the objects of distributing felling and regeneration, providing a regular supply of forest produce, and maintaining the forest's productivity. It is a sub-division of a working circle.
• Universality: Regardless of whether the forest is "regular" (managed under systems like clear felling or shelterwood to produce even-aged stands) or "irregular" (managed under the selection system to maintain trees of all ages), the harvest is regulated within the felling series to ensure sustainability.
• Objectives: The primary goal of a felling series is to ensure that the annual or periodic harvest does not exceed the forest's increment, thereby following the principle of sustained yield. It also helps in distributing the harvest geographically to prevent localized over-exploitation.
• Distinction from other units: A compartment is a permanent map unit for record-keeping; an annual coupe is the specific area harvested in a single year; and a beat is a small administrative unit for protection. None of these serve as the primary unit for calculating and regulating the long-term yield like the felling series does.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The unit of yield regulation in both regular and irregular forest management is the felling series.