Hints for sustainable management of cork oak woods.

摘要

Management of a productive cork oak plantation is dependent on keeping the trees healthy and growing and therefore not removing excessive amounts of bark. A debarking coefficient (Cd) is proposed, a constant which, when multiplied by the trunk circumference 1.3 m above the ground gives the height to which bark should be removed. The Cd is determined by experts who mark the debarking height on the trees before the operation starts. Thus, the amount removed is a function of the tree size. The Cd is different in young trees from that in established plantations. A plantation in southern Sardinia is used as a case study. A national plan is desirable if sustainable production is to be achieved in southern Italy and the islands.