Effects of planting densitiy on douglas fir stands

Abstract

Planting scheme to adopt in wood-oriented plantations is an extremely important factor. Planting density has ecological, cultural and economic implications on stand management and different densities have different effects on single plants and the whole stand growth. Density is able to condition the system evolutional dynamics. This study, carried out in Douglas fir stands in Calabria, proposes an evaluation, after 40 years from the planting, of planting scheme density effects on main stand dendro-auxometric parameters. Compared planting densities are six and they range from 2500 to 883 trees/hectare. The right planting distance in plantations has a very important meaning, and it influences in a evident way the hypothetical cultural model for the plantation.