Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica

Reforestation efforts are being promoted throughout the humid tropics in response to increased areas of deforested and abandoned or degraded lands. Farmers need technical information on species performance, plantation design and management in order to make appropriate choices of species and silvicul...

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Autores principales: Piotto, D., Montagnini, F., Ugalde, L., Kanninen, M.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2003
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18834
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author Piotto, D.
Montagnini, F.
Ugalde, L.
Kanninen, M.
author_browse Kanninen, M.
Montagnini, F.
Piotto, D.
Ugalde, L.
author_facet Piotto, D.
Montagnini, F.
Ugalde, L.
Kanninen, M.
author_sort Piotto, D.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Reforestation efforts are being promoted throughout the humid tropics in response to increased areas of deforested and abandoned or degraded lands. Farmers need technical information on species performance, plantation design and management in order to make appropriate choices of species and silvicultural techniques to achieve high productivity. In Costa Rica, government incentives have promoted the planting of native tree species, but information is still scarce on species performance and silvicultural management. The present study examines the growth and responses to thinning of native species in mixed and pure-species plantations in the Caribbean Lowlands of Costa Rica. At 9–10 years of age, the species with best growth in diameter and volume were Vochysia guatemalensis Donn. Sm., Terminalia amazonia (J. Gmell) Excell, Jacaranda copaia (Aubl) D. Don, Virola koschnyi Warb. and Vochysia ferruginea Mart. Most species had better growth in mixed than in pure-species plantations. The slower growing species Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess and Genipa americana L. grew better in pure than in mixed stands. Mixed plantations (combinations of 3–4 species) ranked among the most productive in terms of volume. Trees responded to thinning with increased diameter growth, while height was not generally influenced by thinning. Tight initial spacing and thinning with high extraction of stems can improve growth and timber quality of stands. Results of the present research are useful to improve species choices for reforestation and plantation management in the humid lowlands of Costa Rica and in other regions with similar ecological characteristics.
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spelling CGSpace188342025-01-24T14:20:42Z Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica Piotto, D. Montagnini, F. Ugalde, L. Kanninen, M. silvicultural systems growth diameter increment merchantable volume thinning forest plantations afforestation choice of species tropical rain forests calophyllum brasiliense vochysia terminalia jacaranda copaia rubiaceae virola Reforestation efforts are being promoted throughout the humid tropics in response to increased areas of deforested and abandoned or degraded lands. Farmers need technical information on species performance, plantation design and management in order to make appropriate choices of species and silvicultural techniques to achieve high productivity. In Costa Rica, government incentives have promoted the planting of native tree species, but information is still scarce on species performance and silvicultural management. The present study examines the growth and responses to thinning of native species in mixed and pure-species plantations in the Caribbean Lowlands of Costa Rica. At 9–10 years of age, the species with best growth in diameter and volume were Vochysia guatemalensis Donn. Sm., Terminalia amazonia (J. Gmell) Excell, Jacaranda copaia (Aubl) D. Don, Virola koschnyi Warb. and Vochysia ferruginea Mart. Most species had better growth in mixed than in pure-species plantations. The slower growing species Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess and Genipa americana L. grew better in pure than in mixed stands. Mixed plantations (combinations of 3–4 species) ranked among the most productive in terms of volume. Trees responded to thinning with increased diameter growth, while height was not generally influenced by thinning. Tight initial spacing and thinning with high extraction of stems can improve growth and timber quality of stands. Results of the present research are useful to improve species choices for reforestation and plantation management in the humid lowlands of Costa Rica and in other regions with similar ecological characteristics. 2003 2012-06-04T09:08:52Z 2012-06-04T09:08:52Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18834 en Piotto, D., Montagnini, F., Ugalde, L., Kanninen, M. 2003. Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica . Forest Ecology and Management 177 (1-3) :427-439. ISSN: 0378-1127.
spellingShingle silvicultural systems
growth
diameter
increment
merchantable volume
thinning
forest plantations
afforestation
choice of species
tropical rain forests
calophyllum brasiliense
vochysia
terminalia
jacaranda copaia
rubiaceae
virola
Piotto, D.
Montagnini, F.
Ugalde, L.
Kanninen, M.
Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica
title Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica
title_full Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica
title_fullStr Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica
title_full_unstemmed Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica
title_short Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica
title_sort growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical costa rica
topic silvicultural systems
growth
diameter
increment
merchantable volume
thinning
forest plantations
afforestation
choice of species
tropical rain forests
calophyllum brasiliense
vochysia
terminalia
jacaranda copaia
rubiaceae
virola
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18834
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AT ugaldel growthandeffectsofthinningofmixedandpureplantationswithnativetreesinhumidtropicalcostarica
AT kanninenm growthandeffectsofthinningofmixedandpureplantationswithnativetreesinhumidtropicalcostarica