New Forests

, Volume 43, Issue 1, pp 31–44 | Cite as

Seasonal growth of Eucalyptus species in New Zealand hill country

Article
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Abstract

The seasonal growth (height and diameter) of 12 Eucalyptus species (E. agglomerata, E. baxteri, E. botryoides, E. cladocalyx, E. globoidea, E. microcorys, E. muelleriana, E. nitens, E. obliqua, E. pilularis, E. regnans, E. saligna) was measured on trees between 2 and 4 years of age on four hill country microsites; upper shady, lower shady, upper sunny and lower sunny slopes. Additionally, seasonal mean daily solar radiation and temperature were recorded on each aspect over the same time period. Height and diameter growth were both strongly seasonal; mean diameter growth was highest in the spring (0.91 cm) while height growth was greatest in the summer (0.57 m). Conversely, diameter and height growth were least in the winter (0.38 cm and 0.09 m respectively). There was a significant interaction between season and aspect for height (P = 0.01) and diameter (P = 0.02). Diameter and height growth on the shady face was similar to that on the sunny slopes during summer, but, in winter growth on the shady face was typically lower than the sunny. Slope position also influenced height growth (P = 0.001), particularly in the winter, growth on the lower slope being less than on the upper. There was a strong linear relationship between seasonal height growth and solar radiation but a curvilinear relationship between seasonal diameter growth and radiation. Consideration of the influence of topography on solar radiation and other environmental factors may allow more reliable assessment of potential forest production on a micro scale.

Keywords

Eucalyptus species Microsite Season Radiation Height Diameter 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

Financial assistance was provided by the Massey University Agricultural Research Fund.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Institute of Natural ResourcesMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand

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