Effects of provenance and initial planting density on growth and wood properties in young sawtooth oak ( Quercus acutiss
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Effects of provenance and initial planting density on growth and wood properties in young sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) plantations Xiangrong Cheng1 · Haijing Yuan1 · Wenli Xing1 · Yangdong Wang1 · Mukui Yu1 Received: 18 May 2020 / Revised: 25 July 2020 / Accepted: 1 August 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Provenance and stand management regimes greatly affect individual tree growth and stand productivity. The effects of provenance and initial planting density on growth and wood properties of 11-year-old sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima Carruth.) plantations in eastern China were investigated. The average tree height growth, calorific values, and ash content of stem wood were greatly affected by provenance but not by initial planting density. The average tree diameter varied significantly among the three planting densities (5000, 2500, and 1667 trees ha−1) from tree age 6–11 years, and density-associated competition between trees mainly occurred at tree ages 6, 7, and 11 years for different provenances. The initial planting density and provenance had significant effects on the stand basal area (BA) and aboveground biomass (AGB). The annual growth in BA and AGB decreased in the eighth year after planting, especially in plots with an initial planting density of 5000 trees h a−1. The variances explained by the provenance exceeded the variance explained by the planting density for AGB at age 11 years. No significant interaction effect between initial planting density and provenance was observed for growth traits, but there was a significant effect on survival rate. Therefore, the suitable combination between provenance and planting density is crucial to increase productivity of sawtooth oak plantations. Additionally, our study confirms that, when the stands were young, initial planting density had a greater effect on productivity than provenance did, but this pattern reversed as stands aged. Keywords Quercus acutissima · Provenance · Initial planting density · Growth · Calorific value
Introduction Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima Carruth.) is one of the most abundant oak species in eastern Asia. It is widely distributed (ranging from 18° N to 41° N and from 91° E to 123° E) in China and can adapt to a wide variety of ecological conditions (Zhang et al. 2014). In recent decades, sawtooth oak has been increasingly planted for its high economic and ecological values. For example, it is cultivated for Communicated by Martina Meincken. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-020-01308-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Mukui Yu [email protected] 1
East China Coastal Forest Ecosystem Long‑term Research Station, Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China
use as timber, fuelwood, charcoal, and for acorn production (Liu et al. 2011). Genetic improvement and stand management are c
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