Optimal management of Pinus pinea stands when cone and timber production are considered

Abstract

Pinus pinea is one of the most important tree species in the Mediterranean region due to the economic value of its edible seeds called ''piñones''. Timber also represents an important source of income from this species. Generally, P. pinea stands have been managed to maximize either timber or seed production, optimization of the joint production of both products being rare. The difficulty in optimizing seed or joint production is the highly stochastic masting habit of P. pinea. The aim of the present study was to find the optimal management of P. pinea stands from the economic point of view when both seed and timber production are considered. A growth and yield model was employed to simulate the dynamics of P. pinea stands of the northern Iberian Peninsula. The novelty of the study is the implementation of a cone yield model that is able to predict expected cone harvests and seed yields when masting is stochastic. The model was linked with an optimization algorithm to obtain optimal schedules for two different stands. The results showed that seed production of P. pinea in the northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula may increase the soil expectation value by more than 300 % in dense stands and 200 % in sparse stands. When seed yields were considered, rotation lengths were longer and thinnings were delayed. The results were highly sensitive to cone prices and discount rates.

Synergies and Trade-Offs in the Production of NWFPs Predicted in Boreal Forests

“…Including the incomes from NWFPs in NPV would have resulted in forest management that is more profitable for the joint-production of NWFPs and timber. At a stand level, increasing the incomes through the sales of harvested NWFPs is a rational option for forest owners [5][6][7][8]10]. In future studies, not only the economic value of timber, but also that of NWFPs, should be included in the analysis of the synergies and trade-offs of the production of NWFPs in boreal forests.…”

“…As a result, there have been efforts to develop yield models for different NWFPs and link them in forest simulators (see, e.g., Kurttila and Tahvanainen [4] for a European review). Earlier studies indicate that valuing NWFPs can increase the profitability of stand management and modify the timber-oriented forest management for promoting NWFPs [5][6][7][8][9][10]. For example, according to Palahí et al [5], the additional incomes from mushroom picking made the management of Pinus sylvestris L. and P. nigra Arn.…”

“…stands in the eastern Mediterranean area, the joint-production of pine honey and timber led to longer rotation periods [6]. In Mediterranean Pinus pinea L. stands, optimizing the production of timber and edible pine seeds simultaneously resulted in delayed thinnings [8]. Tahvanainen et al [10] observed that the production of timber and marketed mushrooms in Picea abies (L.) Karst.…”

Optimizing the debarking and cutting schedule of cork oak stands

“…The positive contribution of NWFPs (mushrooms, berries, pine nuts, etc. ) to the profitability of forestry has been proved by several studies that have used stand level optimization techniques similar to the one applied in the present study (Palahí et al 2009;Pasalodos-Tato et al 2009;Miina et al 2010;de Miguel et al 2014;Pasalodos-Tato et al 2016). The present study focused on the management optimization of cork oak stands.…”

“…This study employed the method of Hooke and Jeeves (1961), which has been used widely in forestry (see Hyytiäinen (2003) and Pasalodos-Tato (2010) for references). It has also been applied in studies dealing with the joint production of timber and different NWFPs (Palahí et al 2009;Miina et al 2010;de Miguel et al 2014;Pasalodos-Tato et al 2016). The method has performed well when alternative optimization algorithms have been compared (Pukkala 2009, Arias-Rodil et al 2015.…”