Silviculture conditions and wood properties of Samanea saman and Enterolobium cyclocarpum in 19-year-old mixed plantations

• Main Authors: M.F. Obando, R. Moya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria 2013-04-01
• Series: Forest Systems
• Online Access: http://revistas.inia.es/index.php/fs/article/view/2563

<p><em>Aim of study:</em> The objective of this work is to examine wood properties of a mixed plantation of <em>Samanea saman</em> and <em>Enterolobium cyclocarpum</em>, combined with native species of Costa Rica.</p><p><em>Area of study:</em> Mixed plantation in dry tropical zone of Costa Rica.</p><p><em>Material and Methods</em>: It was measured by total diameter, heartwood, bark thickness, several physical wood properties (green density, specific gravity, volumetric, tangential and radial shrinkage and moisture content) and wood color.</p><p><em>Main results:</em> The largest of this diameter are reached when <em>S. saman</em> is planted with <em>E. cyclocarpum</em>, <em>E. cyclocarpum</em> and <em>Swietenia</em><em> macrophylla</em> and S<em>imarouba glauca</em>. Meanwhile the largest total diameter and heartwood in <em>E. cyclocarpum</em> was found when this species is planted with <em>Dalbergia retusa</em>. Heartwood percentage, bark percentage, and some physical properties are not affected when <em>S. saman</em> or <em>E. cyclocarpum</em> are planted with other species. However, parameters of wood color were affected mixture plantation of <em>S. saman</em> or <em>E. cyclocarpum</em> with other species. The lowest difference between wood from mixed plantations and wood from trees growing in native forests is produced when <em>S. saman</em> is mixed with <em>E. cyclocarpum</em>, but this last species is mixed with <em>Hymenaea courbaril </em>and produced wood with the lowest difference in wood color compared to trees growing in the natural forest.</p><p><em>Research highlights</em>: <em>S. saman</em> and E. cyclocarpum tress planted in a mixed plantation produce variation in breast diameter, physical properties, heartwood percentage and wood color.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> silvicultural condition; wood properties; tropical species; plantation species.<strong></strong></p>