Growth response following green crown pruning in plantation-grown Eucalyptus pilularis and Eucalyptus cloeziana

Author:

Alcorn Philip J.1234,Bauhus Jürgen1234,Smith R. Geoff B.1234,Thomas Dane1234,James Ryde1234,Nicotra Adrienne1234

Affiliation:

1. School of Botany and Zoology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

2. School of Resources, Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.

3. Forests NSW, P.O. Box J19, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450, Australia.

4. Institute of Silviculture, Freiburg University, D-79085 Freiburg, Germany.

Abstract

Pruning of live branches is performed to enhance wood quality in plantation trees. Stem, branch and wood properties may be altered following pruning from below, but the extent and duration of such effects are unknown for many plantation Eucalyptus species. The effect of 0%, 20%, 50%, and 70% green crown length removal on growth and wood quality was examined in 3.5-year-old plantation-grown Eucalyptus pilularis Sm. (blackbutt) and Eucalyptus cloeziana F. Muell. (Gympie messmate) trees on two subtropical sites in eastern Australia. Growth increment of the stem at breast height was not affected by 20% crown removal. However, stem increment at breast height was reduced for up to 8 months with 50% crown removal and up to 12 months with 70% crown removal. Pruning had no impact on height growth. However, the height of trees pruned to 70%, relative to the height of the surrounding unpruned trees, was temporarily reduced 12 months after pruning in both species. Stem form, stem taper, wood density, and residual branch growth above the pruned zone were unaffected by pruning. Owing to the fast vertical crown expansion, trees were able to rapidly compensate for leaf area removal without long-term reductions in stem growth. The implications for management operations utilizing pruning as a means of enhancing timber quality are discussed.

Publisher

Canadian Science Publishing

Subject

Ecology,Forestry,Global and Planetary Change

Reference33 articles.

1. Beadle, C.L. 1997. Dynamics of leaf and canopy development. In Management of soil, nutrients and water in tropical plantation forests. Edited by E.K.S. Nambiar and A.G. Brown. Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR), Canberra, Australia. ACIAR Monograph No. 43. pp. 169–212.

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