VOLUME AND TAPER EQUATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL STEMS OF Nothofagus obliqua AND N. alpina

Hernan Attis Beltran,Ariana Iaconis,Guillermo Martinez Pastur,Luis Chauchard

doi:10.1590/01047760201723022330

Hernan Attis Beltran, Ariana Iaconis + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/01047760201723022330

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Timber volume of standing trees is essential information for management decisions. The increasing need to optimize the potential capacity of forests maintaining their conservation, requires the quantification of the different potential possible timber products. The aim was to adjust taper equations to determine volumes of different timber products for commercial stems of Nothofagus alpina and N. obliqua. Trees of both species were randomly selected in harvesting areas of Lanin National Park (Argentina). Trees were felled and cut into commercial logs, measuring diameter with bark at different heights up to the beginning of the crown, and for each tree the diameter at breast height and total height. Five taper equations were selected and non-linear regression processes were employed for the fittings. We obtained the volume through the integration of the stem profile equation and the rotation in the space thereof through solid of revolution. The Bennet and Swindel (1972) model was selected for both Nothofagus species, obtaining similar equation parameters and differences were observed at the top of the stems of larger trees. For this the use of an integrated model is not recommended. With the obtained equations it is possible to: (i) estimate volume at different heights and for different commercial diameters, and (ii) predict the height at which both species reach to a certain diameter. The model presented some statistical limitations (e.g. multicollinearity), however, the fitting of the equation and the easy understanding of the outputs support it as a useful tool in a broad range of forest applications.

Highlights

Lanin National Park (Argentina) has a long tradition in forest management of mixed forests of Nothofagus alpina Poepp. et Endl. (sensu N. nervosa Phill (Dim. et Mil.)) commonly named raulí and N. obliqua (Mirb.) Oerst commonly named roble pellín, and recently, in-situ and ex-situ plantation tests begun
Sample was composed by 84 trees of Nothofagus alpina and 98 trees of N. obliqua used for the fitting of the equations (Table 1)
Stem profile functions have been developed for Nothofagus alpina and N. obliqua in order to be applied in the basin of lakes Lacar and Nonthué

Summary

Introduction

Lanin National Park (Argentina) has a long tradition in forest management of mixed forests of Nothofagus alpina Poepp. et Endl. (sensu N. nervosa Phill (Dim. et Mil.)) commonly named raulí and N. obliqua (Mirb.) Oerst commonly named roble pellín, and recently, in-situ and ex-situ plantation tests begun. (sensu N. nervosa Phill (Dim. et Mil.)) commonly named raulí and N. obliqua (Mirb.) Oerst commonly named roble pellín, and recently, in-situ and ex-situ plantation tests begun. These species are regionally considered as the best potential alternative species for commercial plantations. The approach to forest management has shifted towards a multifunctional vision of the forest considering: (i) integration of biodiversity conservation in forest management process, (ii) characterization and maintenance of the multifunctionality of forests, (iii) the effective participation of stakeholders, and (iv) the use of new technologies (GÓMEZ GARCÍA et al 2016) In these sense, the development of new tools for forest management planning allowed to improve the current silvicultural proposals

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