Growth Response to Thinning in a Productive Eucalyptus glohulus Plantation in Victoria, Australia

摘要

The production of high-value clear-wood sawlogs from Eucalyptus plantations requires early selection and pruning of the sawlog crop trees to produce knot-free wood and thinning to reduce competition and enhance growth rates. The trade-off in production of sawlogs and pulpwood was examined in two contrasting thinning treatments applied to a productive E. globulus plantation at Werribee, Victoria, Australia: Sawlog regime, Sawlog and Pulpwood regime. Higher density Pulpwood and Biomass regimes were used to measure potential site productivity. In the Sawlog and Sawlog and Pulpwood regimes, sawlog crop trees (220 trees o ha"1) were selected and pruned to 6 m height at age 4 years. The plantation was irrigated with nutrient-rich wastewater during summer.