BC3 Journal Article “Effects of thinning and pruning on stem and crown characteristics of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don)”


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Fernandez, M.P, Basauri, J.,Madariaga, C.,Menendez-Miguelez, M., Olea, R., Zubizarreta-Gerendiain, A. 2017. Effects of thinning and pruning on stem and crown characteristics of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don). iForest-Biogeosciences and Forestry. 10. (2) 383-390. DOI (10.3832/ifor2037-009).

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Abstract

All silvicultural practices produce effects on wood properties and thereafter on market value. For instance practices such as initial planting, growing space, thinning and/ or timing and intensity of pruning may have a great influence on the extent of branching and therefore on the final product ([14], [6]). Changes produced by silviculture practices have an impact on the environment within the stand. For instance, thinning artificially modifies the stand structure, opening the space for the remaining trees and increasing light, temperature, and air currents inside the canopy ([33]). As a general rule, the remaining trees grow more in diameter, developing larger crowns with bigger branches ([31], [14]), but the extent of this pattern depends on the growth potential and the thinning intensity ([23]). Pruning also has strong effects on tree structure, changing the photosynthetic capacity of the crown. In general, heavy pruning of green branches reduces the photosynthetic capacity of trees, decreasing their growth ([29]) and producing more cylindrical trees ([44]). Some studies pointed out that the remaining branches grow bigger after pruning ([23]), but the pruned stem part shows different wood quality characteristics, with less knots and higher wood value for sawn timber ([27]).

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