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Mixed Pyrus pyraster and Sorbus torminalis plantations including companion species enhance high-quality timber production

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Abstract

Wild pear (Pyrus pyraster (L.) Burgsd.) (P) and wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz) (S) are sporadic European tree species that are valued for their high-quality timber production. Although mixed plantations including companion species enhance timber quality of several trees, the performance of the association of P and S is not well known. The objective of this study was to assess growth and survival of P and S in pure plantations and in plantations mixed with other companion tree or shrub species in a non-native habitat. To answer the question of whether growth of these species is enhanced by mixtures, specific combinations of the main and companion species were established in central Chile and monitored for a 12-year period after planting. Besides each main species monoculture, five mixtures were tested: Mix1: P+S; Mix2: P+S+ the N-fixing tree Italian alder (Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby); and three associations of P and S including shrubs (Mix3: P+S+ Corylus avellana L., Mix4: P+S+ Sambucus ebulus L., and Mix5: P+S+ Sambucus nigra L.). Both P and S presented the highest height growth in Mix2, being 48.6% and 53.4% higher than in the monoculture, respectively. DBH growth was also enhanced in Mix2 for S. Wild service tree, which showed lower growth and survival than P, was more benefited from the mixture including Italian alder than P. Height growth, vigor and survival of the main species were highest in Mix2, even higher than in pure plantations and in Mix1 without companion species. Specific tree associations might increase the probability to obtain high-quality timber of noble species if a timely and adequate management of companion species is provided.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Frutifor Ltd. for its active collaboration in trial establishment and tending during 12 years, and the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture for funding measurements and analyses.

Funding

This work was supported by the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture and trial establishment and management were supported by the Foundation for the Agriculture Innovation (FIA), Ministry of Agriculture, Chile, project “Mixed plantations: productivity, diversity and sustainability for the forest development” (Grant Number C00-1-F-028).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chilean Forest Institute (INFOR), Metropolitan Office, Sucre 2397, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile

    Verónica Loewe-Muñoz, Rodrigo Del Río & Claudia Delard

  2. CONICET Biometry Unit, College of Agriculture, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, CC509 (5000), Córdoba, Argentina

    Mónica Balzarini

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  1. Verónica Loewe-Muñoz
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  2. Rodrigo Del Río
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  3. Claudia Delard
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  4. Mónica Balzarini
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Loewe-Muñoz, V., Del Río, R., Delard, C. et al. Mixed Pyrus pyraster and Sorbus torminalis plantations including companion species enhance high-quality timber production. Eur J Forest Res 139, 655–664 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-020-01278-4

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