Evaluation of new silvicultural alternatives for Scots pine stands in northern Spain

Abstract

The new objectives which society is demanding of forest systems are leading to deep changes in their management. Aspects such as biodiversity preservation and recreation require forest management alternatives that are not based on the traditional management centered on the maximization of timber production. In this paper, we introduce five silvicultural alternatives different from those typically implemented. They are characterized by combining more intensive management practices in four cases, with the retention of a portion of the stand in the final cutting, and the extension of rotation to fulfill these non-timber producing objectives in the other case. The results for one stand of Pinus sylvestris L. in the north of Spain have been evaluated in physical terms (total volume, veneer volume), as well as in financial terms (L and Expectation Value, LEV), showing some of the alternatives its feasibility in comparison with traditional management.