Growth and yield of some plantation species of the lowland tropics in Ecuador (original) (raw)

1999, Articulo presentado en Conferencias sobre las …

The volume growth of five major plantation species of the lowland tropics are compared. These are Chuncho (Cedralinga cateniformis), Cutanga (Parkia multijuga), Jacaranda (Jacaranda copaia), Laurel (Cordia alliodora), and Pachaco (Schizolobium parahybum). Mean annual increment of volume to a 20-cm underbark top diameter are estimated by two different methods. One involves construction of a simple yield model for fully stocked stands. The other is by direct regression of mean volume and age. Both give comparable results except for Pachaco, where disease has reduced actual stocking below the optimum. Maximum MAIs of 20-cm underbark volume are about 23 m3/ha at age 15 for Chuncho, 15 m3/ha/yr at age 25 for Cutanga, 16 m3/ha/yr at age 15 for Jacaranda, and 8 m3/ha/yr at age 10 for Laurel. Pachaco yields are currently between 10 and 20 m3/ha/yr but very dependent on the health of the stand. Quoted yields depend very much on technical volume limits, and for Laurel, for example, vary from 15 m3/ha/yr at age 5, 8 m3/ha/yr at age 10, and 3 m3/ha/yr at age 15, depending on whether volume limits of 10 cm overbark, 20 cm underbark, or 35 cm underbark are used. It is noted that natural forest production of 1 m3/ha/yr of quality logs above 60 cm may not be markedly less than that of quality hardwood plantations to the same dimensions, and the volume limit used must be considered when comparing MAIs.