Silvicultural evaluations on Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) plantations in Istanbul

Abstract

Industrial plantations have substantially reduced the pressure on natural forests. There are approximately 80.000 hectares of industrial plantations, established with fast growing coniferous species, 77.000 hectares of which are maritime pine plantations in Turkey. Furthermore, approximately 16.000 hectares of maritime pine plantations, which amount to about 20 percent of all maritime pine plantations in Turkey, occur in Istanbul. The aim of this study is to determine the silvicultural characterictics and individual tree growth pattern of martimie pine plantations owing in different site-index located in Anatolian (Kanlica, Byekoz, Sultanbeyli and Sile-Sahilkoy) and European (Bahcekoy-Bentler, Arnavutkoy and Terkos-Durusu) Istanbul. In order to determine required silvicultural treatments, all the trees' live crown ratios (CR) were calculated and categorized with respect to CR <= 0.30, 0.31-0.40 and 41 <= CR. The minimum and maximum recorded values for the trees' age, DBH, height and stem volume were found in the range of 22-50 years, 26.6-46.8 cm, 14.0-23.0 m and 0.5150-1.8560 m(3) respectively. The results revealed that sampled trees reached to mean breast height of 1.30 m at the age of 4 years in Kanlica, Sultanbeyli, Sile-Sahilkoy, Terkos-Durusu and Arnavutkoy whereas the ones in Beykoz and Bahcekoy-Bentler reached the same height at the age of 3 years. According to these results, tending during the thicket stages of trees within these areas is completed at 3 to 4 years of age. In order to take advantage of the fast growing attributes of maritime pine which was found to grow fast within first 10 years, the first thinning should commence at the age of 11-12 years; thereafter, the second thinning should commence at the age of 18-20 years; finally, the final cut should be performed when the plantation is approximately 30 years of age. If rotation age is considered 40 years, the third thinning should commence at the age of 30 years.