Development of Forestry and Plantations in Argentina
From Safopedia
| Society of American Foresters | International Society of Tropical Foresters |
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Development of Forestry and Plantations in Argentina |
| Hugo Fassola, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
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| At the beginning of the 20th century the National Government of Argentina was the major forest land owner. In order to establish forestry in the country, technical and management criteria and studies on growth and yield applied to rotation age determination were carried on.
The work of M. Rothkugel (1916), a forester from Yale, in Patagonian Forests was foundational research in this field. He established relationships between diameter and age for various species like Nothofagus dombeyii (Fig. 1), Nothofagus antartica, Nothofagus pumilio and Araucaria araucana. American forest management criteria were in used up to the end of II World War (see attached figures at the bottom of the page).
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| In 1988 on the basis of genetic improvement of Pinus taeda (Figure 2 & 3, attached below) and simulations with a growth model made by the forestry sector, the National Forest Institute allowed the forest owner to establish the rotation length. Although several studies of growth and yield were done during those years, trial plots with the new genetics materials allowed us to do projections in the 1990s. Table 2 shows the best regime for Pinus taeda, origin Marion, selected by Kolln (1995) between different alternatives considering the highest internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). |
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| The main conclusions of this work established that shorter rotations (18 years) were best, and that early and intensive thinning improved profits of Pinus taeda plantations.
By that time decision making process of the forest managers became more complex, but three elements helped them. First, growth simulation models became available (Crechi et al. 1997a; Crechi et al. 1997b; Crechi et al. 1998). Second came the results of silvicultural trial plots of “direct saw logs regimes”, with the aim of obtaining pruned trees of larger D.B.H, proposed by New Zealand silviculturists (Fenton 1972), in Pinus spp. in Misiones and NE Corrientes (Fassola, 1992; Fassola &Allegranza, 1996) and the effect of s.e.d. on peeling logs yields and value (Henn et al. 1995), reinforced its adoption mainly in silvopastoral systems by small and medium size forest owners and cattle growers (Esquivel et al. 2004). Third, pulp and paper investors adopted rotation lengths for Pinus taeda of 14 years in NE Corrientes.
All these facts indicated that rotation length in conifers now is influenced by the product market target and that long run planning tools became important. In the future, genetic improvement of hybrids pines (Figure 2 & 3, attached) and clonal silviculture are expected to reduce the rotation length.
A similar situation could be described with Eucalyptus grandis. In the NE of Entre Ríos, maximization of NPV varied between 10 years for site quality I and 13.5 years for site quality III and IRR for the same situation varied with rotation lengths between 8 years and 12 years for pulp an low quality saw logs (Carpinetti et al. 1995). But in saw logs regimes, rotation length was higher, 18 years (Table 3).
Clonal silviculture is expected to reduce saw logs regimes down to 12 years old, with a mean D.B.H. of 45 cm (Forestadora Tapebicuá, pers. com. 2005), in the NE of Corrientes. Also in poles production, with an increasing demand due to high G.B.P. rates, rotation length could be reduce up to 5 years old with an I.R.R of 37 % (Ameijeiras & Di Giorgi 2005). |
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| Cottonwood production also shows similar trends in the Parana’s river Delta and with Australian clones being introduced, starting a new period. Casaubón et al. (2001) established at 12 years old in a plantation of Populus deltoides cv. Catfish 2 with an initial stocking 625 s.p.ha a yield of m3/ha 322 at harvest.
Different paradigms have influenced the management of forest in Argentina, from the days when the federal state was the major forest land owner, up to now when forest production is based in plantations on private lands. Genetic improvement and silviculture management have continuously reduced the rotation length. But new demands of society, such as environmental impact and sustainability, must be taken in consideration. New powerful tools for long run planning based on an ecosystem view will be needed as well as traditional biometric and economic analyses.
AMEIJEIRAS, M & DI GIORGI, F. 2005. Reunión Consorcio Forestal Corrientes Norte nº 147, “Garabí”, Parada 1, E. grandis clonal. 2005-12-15. Informe Inédito. Garabí, Corrientes. Pp 2
[1] Fassola H. E. Ing. Ftal. M.B.A. INTA EEA Montecarlo. Av. El Libertador 2472. (3384). Montecarlo. Misiones. Argentina. TE & FAX ++54 3751 480512 / 480057. email: hfassola@montecarlo.inta.gov.ar
Posted: 21 April 2007 Updated: 4 September 2007 |
