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Effects of thinning and canopy type on growth dynamics of Pinus sylvestris: inter-annual variations and intra-annual interactions with microclimate

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Abstract

We assessed the effects of thinning (0, 20 and 30 % extraction of basal area) and canopy type (pine–beech vs. pine plots, beech accounting for 12 % of total basal area) on radial growth of dominant and codominant Scots pine at inter-annual scale and on microclimatic conditions, radial growth and xylogenesis 9 years after thinning at intra-annual scale. Thinning weakly affected pine growth, which was enhanced 3 years after harvesting. Over time, a gradual reduction in pine growth in mixed canopy relative to pure canopy occurred only in unthinned plots apparently due to beech expansion. Indeed, 9 years after thinning, a higher seasonal radial increment and a greater number of tracheids were produced under pine canopy in the unthinned plots, whereas no differences between canopy types were observed in the thinned plots. Radial increment and tracheid production were mainly affected by tree water status (air and soil humidity, throughfall). The differences of tree water status caused by treatments, and plausibly disparities in tree size and tree-to-tree competition, were the main drivers explaining the patterns observed for radial increment and xylogenesis. Our results suggest that the negative effects of beech competition on Scots pine growth in similar mixed forest may be controlled to some extent by thinning.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the GLOBIMED thematic network for making possible the collaboration between the ARAID-IPE and the “UPNA Ecology & Environment Research Group.” The “Departamento de Medio Ambiente” of the Government of Navarre for the experimental setting of silvicultural treatments and, in particular, Fernando Puertas, Carmen Traver and Ana Iriarte and the “Concejo” of Aspurz for permitting the access to the plots. The research has been carried out in the framework of the AGL2006-08288 project (“Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” of the Spanish Government). I. Primicia was financially supported by the FPI program from the “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” of the Spanish Government and the European Social Fund (ESF). J. J. Camarero thanks the support of ARAID. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers for their comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Ciencias del Medio Natural, Universidad Pública de Navarra, Campus de Arrosadía s/n, Pamplona, 31006, Navarra, Spain

    Irantzu Primicia, J. Bosco Imbert & Federico J. Castillo

  2. ARAID—Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, CSIC, Avda. Montañana, 1005, 50080, Zaragoza, Spain

    J. Julio Camarero

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  1. Irantzu Primicia
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  2. J. Julio Camarero
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  3. J. Bosco Imbert
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  4. Federico J. Castillo
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Correspondence to J. Bosco Imbert.

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Communicated by Christian Ammer.

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Primicia, I., Camarero, J.J., Imbert, J.B. et al. Effects of thinning and canopy type on growth dynamics of Pinus sylvestris: inter-annual variations and intra-annual interactions with microclimate. Eur J Forest Res 132, 121–135 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-012-0662-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-012-0662-1

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