EucaTool®, a cloud computing application for estimating the growth and production of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantations in Galicia (NW Spain)

Abstract

<p><em>Aim of study</em>: To present the software utilities and explain how to use EucaTool^®, a free cloud computing application developed to estimate the growth and production of seedling and clonal blue gum (<em>Eucalyptus globulus</em> Labill.) plantations in Galicia (NW Spain).</p><p><em>Area of study</em>: Galicia (NW Spain).</p><p><em>Material and methods</em>: EucaTool^® implements a dynamic growth and production model that is valid for clonal and non-clonal blue gum plantations in the region. The model integrates transition functions for dominant height (site index curves), number of stems per hectare (mortality function) and basal area, as well as output functions for tree and stand volume, biomass and carbon content.</p><p><em>Main results</em>: EucaTool^® can be freely accessed from any device with an Internet connection, from <a href="http://app.eucatool.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://app.eucatool.com</span></a>. In addition, useful information about the application is published on a related website: <a href="http://www.eucatool.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://www.eucatool.com</span></a>.</p><p><em>Research highlights</em>: The application has been designed to enable forest stakeholders to estimate volume, biomass and carbon content of forest plantations from individual trees, diameter classes or stand data, as well as to estimate growth and future production (indicating the optimal rotation age for maximum income) by measurement of only four stand variables: age, number of trees per hectare, dominant height and basal area.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>forest management; biomass; seedling; clones; blue gum; forest tool.</p>