Long-term implications of traditional forest regulation methods applied to Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) forests in central Spain: a century of management plans

Abstract

Pinus pinaster stands in the northern Iberian range (Spain) have been under forest management plans for more than a century. The main goals have been sustainable yield and conservation and enhancement of forest conditions. In the study area, forest management plan implementation started to be effective in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the plans have been evaluated every ten years. In these forests, a permanent forest compartment method has been applied as the management system. Different regeneration methods have been applied (uniform shelterwood and clear cutting in Soria, selective and uniform shelterwood and continuous cover forestry in Teruel). To analyse the evolution of each forest group, five management indicators have been tested in this study: number of merchantable trees, standing volume, resin production, allowable yield, and harvested volume. Forest situation improvement and maintenance of forest integrity are not only a consequence of the actions planed by foresters, they are also influenced by socio-economic transformations that have occurred during the last century such as the weakness of the resin market, decreasing demand for fire wood, restriction of pasture activities, and increasing recreation use.