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Thinning has a positive effect on growth dynamics and growth–climate relationships in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) trees of different crown classes

  • Original Paper
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Abstract

• Context

Modification of stand density by thinning may buffer the response of tree growth and vigor to changes in climate by enhancing soil water availability.

• Aims

We tested the impact of thinning intensity on cambial growth of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis L.) under semi-arid, Mediterranean conditions.

• Methods

A multiple thinning experiment was established on an Aleppo pine plantation in Spain. We analysed the stem growth dynamics of two different crown classes under four different thinning intensities (15 %, 30 %, and 45 % removal of the basal area) for 2 years, based on biweekly band dendrometer recordings. Local relative extractable soil water was derived from the use of a water balance model Biljou© (available at https://appgeodb.nancy.inra.fr/biljou/) and used as an explanatory variable.

• Results

Radial growth was mainly controlled by soil water availability during the growing season, and differed by crown class. The growth rates of dominant trees were significantly higher than the growth rates of suppressed trees. Removal of 30 % and 45 % of the initial basal area produced a growth release in both dominant and suppressed trees that did not occur under less intense thinning treatments.

• Conclusions

Soil water availability was the main driver of radial growth during the growing season. Forest management confirmed its value for ameliorating the effects of water limitations on individual tree growth. These results may help managers understand how altering stand density will differentially affect diameter growth responses of Aleppo pine to short-term climatic fluctuations, promoting forests that are resilient to future climatic conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Cristina Prieto, Irene Ruano and Lucía Risio for their help on the installation of the dendrometers, Inforriego and the Spanish Meteorological Agency for providing the meteorological data, Cristóbal Ordoñez for his help on the field data collection, and Jorge Leporati for his help with data analysis.

Funding

Funding was provided by the Spanish Research National Projects AGL-2007-65795-C02-01 and AGL2011-29701-C02-02.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute Universidad de Valladolid & INIA, Avda. de Madrid 44, Palencia, 34071, Spain

    Jorge Olivar & Felipe Bravo

  2. Departamento de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Avda. 25 de Mayo 384, Villa Mercedes, San Luis, 5730, Argentina

    Stella Bogino

  3. Inra, UMR 1092 LERFoB, 54280, Champenoux, France

    Cyrille Rathgeber & Vivien Bonnesoeur

  4. AgroParisTech, UMR 1092, 54000, Nancy, France

    Cyrille Rathgeber & Vivien Bonnesoeur

  5. Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Recursos Forestales, Universidad de Valladolid, Avda. de Madrid 44, Palencia, 34004, Spain

    Jorge Olivar & Felipe Bravo

Authors
  1. Jorge Olivar
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  2. Stella Bogino
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  3. Cyrille Rathgeber
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  4. Vivien Bonnesoeur
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  5. Felipe Bravo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jorge Olivar.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Gilbert Aussenac

Contribution of the co-authors

Jorge OLIVAR: writting the paper, data analysis, field measurements.

Stella BOGINO: supervising the work

Cyrille RATHGEBER: supervising the work

Vivien BONNESOEUR: data analysis.

Felipe BRAVO: supervising the work, designing the experiment.

The study was carried out at the University of Valladolid.

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Olivar, J., Bogino, S., Rathgeber, C. et al. Thinning has a positive effect on growth dynamics and growth–climate relationships in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) trees of different crown classes. Annals of Forest Science 71, 395–404 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-013-0348-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-013-0348-y

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