Site Quality for Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) in Natural Forests in Quintana Roo

Site Quality for Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) in Natural Forests in Quintana Roo

The concept of site quality was developed to project the expected production of timber species in even-aged stands in order to produce standardized site index curves. This concept can also be used in a more ecological sense to discern the spatial growth patterns of timber species in natural forests....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sustainable forestry Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 33 - 50
Main Authors: Vaca, Raúl Abel, Golicher, Duncan John, Macario-Mendoza, Pedro Antonio, Estrada-Lugo, Erin Ingrid Jane, Bello-Baltazar, Eduardo, Sánchez-Pérez, Luis Calendrio, Shanahan, Maggie Jane
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis 02-01-2022
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:
Area
Forest management
Forestry
Forests
Growth patterns
height-diameter relationship
Mahogany
Prediction models
Site index
site quality
Spectral sensitivity
Sustainability
sustained-yield forestry
Swietenia
Swietenia macrophylla
Swietenia macrophylla King
Timber
Timber management
timber productivity
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Summary:The concept of site quality was developed to project the expected production of timber species in even-aged stands in order to produce standardized site index curves. This concept can also be used in a more ecological sense to discern the spatial growth patterns of timber species in natural forests. We used the height-diameter relationship to evaluate a method to determine site quality for Swietenia macrophylla King in natural forests in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Using linear models and analysis of covariance, we detected significant and notable differences in mahogany development (p < .001), with some trees exceeding the predicted height by more than one meter. These differences were related to micro-topographic and edaphic factors and to the spectral response of the vegetation. Using a predictive model of site quality to develop a site quality map, we also determined that 86% of the production forest in the study area fit in the low productivity category, with mahogany growing below the predicted height for the area. These results suggest that site quality maps can contribute to effective forest management where forest aptitude is not homogeneous for timber growth. Concentrating management practices on high quality sites has the potential to conserve investment resources and increase production.
ISSN:1054-9811
1540-756X
DOI:10.1080/10549811.2020.1841004