Abstract
In the middle of XIX century, Calabrian pine was planted in southern Italy to increase the forest cover in mountainous areas. Many of these forest stands were never managed, since they were considered non-profitable for wood production. Therefore, in order to promote timber value, it is fundamental to study, more deeply, the characteristics and management options for this species. The acoustic technologies applied to predict the mechanical and physical properties of timber are well-established practices in forest research. In this study, we hypothesized that the tree stand density could influence the dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEd) and, therefore, the future wood quality. We specifically aimed to verify if different management options, when applied, could influence the timber quality of Calabrian pine growing in similar environmental conditions. The study was conducted in the Aspromonte National Park (Calabria, Southern Italy). We derived the MOEd values from data obtained by the acoustic velocity measured through the TreeSonic™ timer. Calabrian pine trees were selected in stands where different intensities of thinning were applied eleven years before this study began (no thinning, thinning 25%, thinning 50%, and thinning 75%). The percentage refers to the number of trees cut with respect to the total number of occurring trees. The analyses were conducted on a total of 804 trees (201 trees for each intensity of thinning). A strong positive correlation was observed between the acoustic velocity, the thinning treatments and diameter at breast height (DBH). The thinning realized at 25% induced better tree wood quality. We also analyzed the best predictors for MOEd estimation, using variables easily measurable in the field, such as tree diameter, tree height, or their transformations (number of trees per hectare, basal area per hectare). We provide, here, a useful tool for predicting the wood stiffness in relation to stand parameters easily measurable in forest inventories.
Highlights
In Southern Europe, the Calabrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold subsp. calabrica) occurs mainly in Italy (Calabria and Sicilia) and in France (Corsica)
Shapiro–Wilk test (SWT), revealed that all the attributes were characterized by normal distribution
This study showed that silvicultural practices might increase biomass production, and improve the wood quality in trees
Summary
In Southern Europe, the Calabrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold subsp. calabrica) occurs mainly in Italy (Calabria and Sicilia) and in France (Corsica). This species is common in Sicily and on the Etna Volcano, but is mainly found in the Sila and Aspromonte National Parks in Calabria Region. Calabrian pine covers an area of approximately 114,000 ha, mostly characterized by pure stands of natural origin and plantations The latter originated from extensive reforestation projects carried out between 1950 and 1970 on the basis of a specific Italian state law [3]. These plantations were realized with the aim of reducing the hydrological risk in mountainous areas, and for facilitating the natural succession toward mixed forests with a significant component of deciduous species [4]. Thinning activities can favor the creation of new habitats for wildlife, favoring the occurrence of healthy and vigorous forests [8]
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