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© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Balsa trees are native to neotropical forests and frequently grow on fallow, degraded land. Balsa can be used for economic and ecological rehabilitation of farmland with the aim of restoring native forest ecosystems. Although Ecuador is the world’s largest producer of balsa, there is a lack of knowledge about production indicators for management of balsa stands in the country. The aim of this study was to develop growth and yield models (i.e., site index (SI) curves and stem volume models) for balsa plantations in the coastal lowlands of Ecuador. Balsa trees growing in 2161 plots in seven provinces were sampled. Here we present the first growth and yield models for the native, although underutilized, balsa tree. Three curve models were fitted to determine SI for balsa stands, differentiating five site quality classes. Eight volume models were compared to identify the best fit model for balsa stands. The mean annual increment was used to assess balsa production. The generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) equation yielded one of the best results for the height–age and diameter–age models. The Newnham model was the best volume model for balsa in this comparative study. The maximum annual increment (i.e., for the best stand index) was reached in the second year of plantation. The fitted models can be used to support management decisions regarding balsa plantations. However, the models are preliminary and must be validated with independent samples. Nevertheless, the very fast development of the native balsa tree is particularly promising and should attract more attention from forest owners and politicians.

Details

Title
Growth and Yield Models for Balsa Wood Plantations in the Coastal Lowlands of Ecuador
Author
Cañadas-López, Álvaro 1 ; Rade-Loor, Diana 2 ; Siegmund-Schultze, Marianna 3 ; Moreira-Muñoz, Geovanny 4 ; J Jesús Vargas-Hernández 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Wehenkel, Christian 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Carrera Ingeniería Agropecuaria, Facultad de Ingeniería Agropecuaria, Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, C.P. 130301 Av. Eloy Alfaro, Chone, Ecuador; Programa de Forestaría, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIAP), Estación Experimental Tropical Pichilingue, C.P. 120501 Km 5 vía Quevedo—El Empalme, Pichilingue, Ecuador 
 Centro de Investigación de las Carreras de la ESPAM-MFL (CICEM), Escuela Superior Politécnica de Manabí (ESPAM-MFL), Campus Politécnico Calceta, C.P. 130250 Sitio El Limón, Calceta, Ecuador 
 Environmental Assessment and Planning Research Group, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 145, 10623 Berlin, Germany 
 Carrera Ingeniería Agropecuaria, Facultad de Ingeniería Agropecuaria, Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, C.P. 130301 Av. Eloy Alfaro, Chone, Ecuador 
 Posgrado en Ciencias Forestales, Colegio de Postgraduados, Montecillo, Texcoco C.P. 56230, México 
 Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la Madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Boulevard Guadiana #501, Ciudad Universitaria, Torre de Investigación, Durango C.P. 34120, México 
First page
733
Publication year
2019
Publication date
2019
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
19994907
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2548503456
Copyright
© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.