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Stand structure, competition and growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in a Mediterranean mountainous environment

Structure des peuplements, compétition et croissance du pin sylvestre (Pinus sylvestris L.) dans un environnement montagneux méditerranéen

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Abstract

The relationship between competition and tree growth was studied in four stands of Pinus sylvestris L. occurring in a continental Mediterranean mountain area (in the Guadarrama range, Spain), i.e., an uneven-aged stand, a stand with oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) understorey, a plantation, and a mature even-aged stand. Competition was measured by a simple size-ratio distance-independent index and was negatively associated with tree diameter. This negative association was stronger in the uneven-aged, plantation and mature even-aged stands than in the stand with oak understorey. Competition was also negatively associated with current diameter increment. This relationship was moderately strong in the mature even-aged stand and weak in the uneven-aged stand and the plantation. In the uneven-aged and the mature even-aged stands, a weakly significant relationship was found between diameter growth and tree size, whereas these parameters were not associated in the stand with oak understorey. The competition index provided a better prediction of growth rate than the alternative use of diameter. Both diameter and basal area growth were greater in the uneven-aged than in the even-aged stands.

Résumé

La relation entre compétition et croissance a été étudiée dans quatre peuplements de Pinus sylvestris L. que l’on rencontre dans la zone continentale des montagnes méditerranéennes (dans la région de Guadarrama en Espagne). Ont été pris en compte un peuplement inéquienne, un peuplement avec du chêne (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) en sous—étage, une plantation, et un peuplement équienne âgé. La compétition a été mesurée par un index indépendant, simple rapport taille/distance, et était corrélée négativement avec le diamètre des arbres. Cette corrélation négative était plus forte dans le peuplement inéquienne, la plantation et le peuplement équienne âgé que dans le peuplement avec sous-étage de chêne. L’index de compétition était aussi corrélé négativement avec l’accroissement courant en diamètre. La relation était modérément forte dans le peuplement équienne âgé et faible dans le peuplement inéquienne et la plantation. Dans le peuplement inéquienne et le peuplement équienne âgé une relation faiblement significative a été trouvée entre croissance en diamètre et taille de l’arbre, alors que ces paramètres n’étaient pas corrélés dans le peuplement avec sous-étage de chêne. L’index de compétition fournit une meilleure prédiction du taux de croissance que le simple diamètre. La croissance en diamètre et en surface terrière était plus importante dans le peuplement inéquienne que dans le peuplement équienne âgé.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Group for Sustainable Management, E.T.S.I. Montes, Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Ciudad Universitaria s.n., 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Antonio García-Abril, Susana Martin-Fernández, M. Angeles Grande & Jose A. Manzanera

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  1. Antonio García-Abril
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  2. Susana Martin-Fernández
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  3. M. Angeles Grande
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  4. Jose A. Manzanera
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Correspondence to Jose A. Manzanera.

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García-Abril, A., Martin-Fernández, S., Grande, M.A. et al. Stand structure, competition and growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in a Mediterranean mountainous environment. Ann. For. Sci. 64, 825–830 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2007069

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