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LODGEPOLE PINE GROWTH QUALITY AND ECONOMICAL EVALUATION IN LATVIA

Linards Sisenis

Abstract

The aim of the study is to characterise the provenances of lodgepole pine ? a potential alternative to Scots pine in sandy soils ? and to recommend the most suitable ones for establishment of plantations in hemiboreal forests in Latvia. To achieve it, data on tree parameters (height, breast height diameter, quality traits, damage by cervids) from provenances originating from North America (53?-61?N, 118?-135?W) were collected in trial in central part of Latvia. The data were processed employing parametric methods. The research used local allometric trunk volume and biomass equations. Lodgepole pine had higher height and a larger growing stock (consequently ?a larger increment and financial gain) than open-pollinated Scots pine plus-tree progenies, indicating the potential for this tree species for practical forestry in conditions characteristic to Latvia. The survival of both pine species were similar, approximately 40% at the age of 24 years. However, the quality of lodgepole pine trunks was lower: it has higher frequency of spike knots and double stems as well as more branchy trunk, which could be explained by the specifics of primary tree growth. Thus lodgepole pine is suitable as for energy-wood production at this age (during first commercial thinning).

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2018/3.2/s14.108

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