& Background Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) is a common conifer species in Portugal that contributes significantly to the national economy. Accurate classification of forest productivity based on site index and height growth dynamics is the main basis for sustainable forest management of this species. & Objectives The main objective of this study was to develop a new dynamic site-dependent height-age model for the maritime pine in Portugal, using the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) methodology, and to explore possible improvements of the model´s performance by expanding its parameters as sub-functions of soil and climate variables. & Methods We tested for this purpose several dynamic equations, including anamorphic, polymorphic with common asymptote, and polymorphic with multiple asymptotes equations. The candidate models were fitted to a large set of stem analysis data, and tested on independent data from permanent sample plots. & Results The two best models with multiple asymptotes, one anamorphic and one polymorphic, showed similar performance; however, upon expanding the parameters as sub-functions of the climate and soil variables, the polymorphic model outperformed the anamorphic model, as well as other models previously used for the management of this species in Portugal. The results of this study also demonstrated that the maritime pine model, developed with stem analysis data, can accurately predict the dominant height growth measured on permanent sample plot data.

This research aimed to: estimate the inputs of litterfall; model the decomposition process and assess the rates of litter decay and turnover; study the litter decomposition process and dynamics of nutrients in old chestnut high forests. This study aimed to fill a gap in the knowledge of chestnut decomposition process as this type of ecosystems have never been modeled and studied from this point of view in Portugal. The study sites are located in the mountains of Marão, Padrela and Bornes in a west-to-east transect, across northern Portugal, from a more-Atlantic-to-lessmaritime influence. This research was developed on old chestnut high forests for quality timber production submitted to a silviculture management close-to-nature. We collected litterfall using littertraps and studied decomposition of leaf and bur litter by the nylon net bag technique. Simple and double exponential models were used to describe the decomposition of chestnut litterfall incubated in situ during 559 days. The results of the decomposition are discussed in relation to the initial litter quality (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and the decomposition rates. Annually, the mature chestnut high-forest stands (density 360-1,260 tree ha -1 , age 55-73 years old) restore 4.9 Mg DM ha -1 of litter and 2.6 Mg ha -1 yr -1 of carbon to the soil. The two-component litter decay model proved to be more biologically realistic, providing a decay rate for the fast initial stage (46-58 yr -1 for the leaves and 38-42 yr -1 for the burs) and a decay rate related to the recalcitrant pool (0.45-0.60 yr -1 for the leaves and 0.22-0.36 yr -1 for the burs). This study pointed to some decay patterns and release of bioelements by the litterfall which can be useful for calibrating existing models and indicators of sustainability to improve both silvicultural and environmental approaches for the management of chestnut forests.Key words: Castanea sativa Mill.; decomposition rate; turnover; nutrient use efficiency; double exponential model. Resumen La hojarasca y su descomposición en bosques de castaño de monte alto en el Norte de PortugalEsta investigación tuvo como objetivo calcular los aportes de hojarasca; modelar el proceso de descomposición y evaluar las tasas de descomposición de la hojarasca y el turnover; estudiar el proceso de descomposición de la hojarasca y la dinámica de nutrientes en bosques de castaños de monte alto. Asimismo, se quiso llenar un vacío en el conocimiento del proceso de descomposición del castaño ya que este tipo de ecosistemas no han sido modelados y estudiados desde este punto de vista en Portugal. El estudio se realizó en las montañas de Marão, Padrela y Bornes situados en un transepto que va de oeste a este, en el norte de Portugal, de mayor a menor influencia Atlántica. La investigación se desarrolló en bosques de castaños antiguos dedicados a la producción de madera de calidad sometida a una gestión silvícola cercana a la naturaleza. Se emplearon colectores de hojarasca y se estudió la descomposición de hojarasca y erizos mediante el empl...

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) has a high ecological and social value and supplies raw materials for the cork industry, a relevant contributor to the economies of Mediterranean countries. Understanding the adaptation potential of cork oak populations to cope with different environmental conditions is a key issue of forest management, particularly for selecting the most adapted genetic material for (re)forestation and assuring the long-term sustainability of the cork industry. Intraspecific variation in fitness surrogate traits (survival, height and stem diameter) was investigated in thirty-five cork oak populations sampled from the entire range of the natural distribution of the species. The study was conducted in two provenance field trials, established in Portugal under different edaphoclimatic conditions. Each trial was surveyed at four tree ages (two ages, 11 and 14 years, were sampled simultaneously in both trials). The trial located at a lower altitude, which had higher mean winter and annual temperatures, exhibited higher growth and survival rates. In both trials, significant genetic variation among cork oak populations was observed for the analyzed traits and evaluated ages. Moroccan populations displayed a higher probability of survival and higher growth rates, while local populations exhibited an intermediate performance. Low to moderate correlations were found between the analyzed traits and the environmental variables of seed origin, suggesting that factors other than climate are likely to be relevant for cork oak adaptation. Moderate to high values of population mean-basis broad-sense heritability (H 2 ≥ 0.44) and high genetic correlations between traits (0.88-0.95) were found for growth traits. This information is crucial for the establishment of a breeding program for the species. With this study, we have improved the knowledge regarding how cork oak performs for fitness surrogate traits in different environments.

To comply with the demands of the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized countries must reliably estimate the stored carbon (C) in different pools of forest ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to quantify the biomass, C and nutrients stocks in the forest floor, understory, downed dead wood (DDW) and mineral soil of even-aged maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) stands from three contrasting regions of Portugal. Assessing the specific contribution of DDW to the C and nutrients stocks and how C concentration in the plant material differs from 0.50, the reference value used in many practical applications, were also objectives of this research. Biomass content of forest floor was determined by a quadrat method. Sampling units of 1 m 2 were used for the understory. The line intersection method was adopted for sampling DDW and the mineral soil was sampled at three depths. Concentrations of C and nutrients were obtained by chemical analysis of samples from soil and milled plant material. Biomass and C in the trees were obtained using published equations. Total C stocks ranged between 100.6 Mg ha -1 and 308.6 Mg ha -1 . Mineral soil shared up to 70-74% of global stored C, being the main cause of the global C stock differences among regions. Phosphorous and potassium were at low to very low levels in the mineral soil and plant material. The contribution of DDW to the C and nutrients pools was negligible. The percentage of C in the plant material ranged between 52% and 54%.

This study aims to develop stand density management diagrams (SDMDs) for pure even-aged high-forest stands of sweet chestnut in Portugal, defining the appropriate upper and lower limits of growing stock while considering the biological, technological and economic objectives that are expected for these stands. The SDMDs were developed with data collected from high-forest stands in northern Portugal, which is the main representative area of these stands in the country. Data were collected from 23 pure even-aged permanent plots with re-measurement intervals of 4-10 years, 43 semi-permanent plots and 18 even-aged temporary plots; all plots were established in chestnut high-forest stands with a broad range of ages. SDMDs were constructed by simultaneously fitting four nonlinear equations relating stand variables using the full information likelihood technique. SDMDs for the estimation of stand total volume, stand stem biomass, stand total aboveground biomass, and carbon content in aboveground biomass are presented as bivariate graphs with dominant height on the x-axis and the number of trees per hectare on the y-axis (using logarithmic scale). A tool is made available to define an optimal range of stand density for a silviculture oriented to single-stem selection on a tree-by-tree basis, focusing management on the most valuable trees. This tool is aimed to support forest managers in the decision-making process, enabling them to schedule thinnings on the basis of the dominant height growth of the trees with the greatest potential (frame trees), maintaining an adequate growing stock and assessing the corresponding aboveground wood volume, biomass, carbon, and mean diameter breast height.