Needs and opportunities for using a process-based productivity model as a practical tool in Eucalyptus plantations

This paper presents the application of a process-based model (PBM) to the management of 181,000 ha of Eucalyptus grandis plantations in Brazil owned by Aracruz Celulose (Arcel). The company recently adopted the process-based model 3-PG (Physiological Principles Predicting Growth) for use in research...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Forest ecology and management Vol. 193; no. 1; pp. 167 - 177
Main Authors:	Almeida, Auro C, Landsberg, Joe J, Sands, Peter J, Ambrogi, Marcelo S, Fonseca, Sebastião, Barddal, Simone M, Bertolucci, Fernando L
Format:	Journal Article Conference Proceeding
Language:	English
Published:	Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 17-05-2004 Elsevier
Subjects:	3-PG model Biological and medical sciences Eucalyptus grandis Eucalyptus grandis plantations Forest management Forest management. Stand types and stand dynamics. Silvicultural treatments. Tending of stands. Natural regeneration Forestry Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Process-based model Stand types and stand dynamics. Silvicultural treatments. Tending of stands. Natural regeneration South America Brazil America Forest management 3-PG model Eucalyptus grandis plantations Process-based model Forest stand Growth Silviculture Forest production Eucalyptus grandis Dicotyledones Angiospermae Myrtaceae Spermatophyta Models
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Summary:	This paper presents the application of a process-based model (PBM) to the management of 181,000 ha of Eucalyptus grandis plantations in Brazil owned by Aracruz Celulose (Arcel). The company recently adopted the process-based model 3-PG (Physiological Principles Predicting Growth) for use in research applications and as an analytical tool as part of its forest management systems. The model is being used to predict potential productivity in terms of forest volume in current production areas and on new lands, and to quantify the effects of environmental factors and management actions on forest productivity. This use allows quantification of the risks associated with production, and increases the quality of the decision-making process. The model was calibrated for an experimental catchment site, and when applied in other regions the goodness of fit between estimated and observed peak mean annual increment was high ( r 2=0.93, P<0.05, S.E.=1.44 m 3 ha −1 per year). Current research is focused on questions of soil fertility ratings, the physiological characteristics and differences among various clones at several sites, and on the application of 3-PG using spatial data bases running in a geographic information system. The progress made in applying 3-PG reported here demonstrates the valuable role that process-based models can play as practical and applied tools in commercial forest management, especially in fast-growing Eucalyptus plantations with short-rotation times (5–7 years), and for testing hypotheses about the way trees function and respond to environmental changes.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23
ISSN:	0378-1127 1872-7042
DOI:	10.1016/j.foreco.2004.01.044