Managemen

t of forest
plantations
 1. Forest plantation: definition
A plantation is defined as a set of cultivated trees or plants; action of planting (Latin:
plantationenm). For its part, the word forest is everything related to forests (Italian:
forestes; medieval Latin forestis).

According to the Multilingual Forestry Dictionary, a forest plantation is defined as the

action of planting trees with the aim of creating a forest; also like the action of creating a
forest by planting seedlings; or the whole of a piece of land and the trees that grow after
having been planted.

According to FAO (2002), forest plantations are defined as those forest formations planted
in the context of a forestation or reforestation process. These can be introduced or native
species that meet the requirements of a minimum area of 0.5 ha; a canopy cover of at least
10% of the ground cover, and a total height of adult trees above 5 m.

In summary, the term plantation refers to two aspects; a) the action of planting or sowing;
b) the existence of an ecosystem established through the planting of trees.
 2. Planting Objective
The purpose of forest plantations is to achieve production objectives that allow obtaining
the best profitability for the producer, in accordance with other objectives such as soil
conservation, protection of water courses, fauna, scenic beauty and others.
In simplified form, the main objective of a forest producer can be from achieving the
maximum total volume per unit of area (many trees per
hectare, thin, without pruning, for pulp production), to
obtaining the maximum volume of raw material of good
quality. quality (few trees per hectare, thick and in good
shape, pruned in a successive and timely manner, for
wood free of knots and defects) to achieve industrial
products with greater added value. It must be kept in
mind that production objectives can be achieved in a
better way if the destination that will be given to the
forest is clear from the beginning, although these can be
reoriented to some degree during the life of the forest,
either due to changes in market or by its own conditions.
 3. Classification of forest plantations There are different
criteria to classify forest plantations. The most common are the following;
a)Classification based on the ecosystem used.

Full plantation: Full plantation is the most used reforestation system worldwide. It
involves planting trees in a site that lacks vegetation and shrub cover.

Agroforestry plantation: plantation whose main objective is forestry production, and

incorporates an agricultural or livestock crop into the plantation.

Enrichment Planting: Enrichment planting can be done in gaps, in plots or in clearings. It

is called enrichment because the plantation is carried out with the aim of recovering the
commercial value of natural forests (especially tropical) that have been subject to
successive extraction of trees of species of commercial value.

Enrichment plantation with natural regeneration management : Enrichment with

regeneration management, in addition to incorporating individuals through plantation,
also aims to favor the growth of forest individuals that have commercial value.
b)Classification based on industrial plantation ;
the origin of the species They are the plantations
whose products are aimed
Native plantation: these at supplying the industry.
are plantations that use Energy plantation; They
native species, that is, they are plantations whose
belong to the natural products are intended to
system where they are be used as fuel.
established.
Plantation of use
Exotic plantation: these multiple ; are the
are plantations made with plantations whose
exotic species, which do products are aimed at
not belong to the natural satisfying multiple
system in which they are purposes.
established.

Combined plantation:
these are plantations that
use native and exotic
species in the same
geographical space.

c)Classification based on
the destination of
production
 4 Management of forest plantations

The management of forest plantations is of vital importance in the yield of the

forest, as well as in the quality and quantity of the wood. To achieve the above, it is
necessary to carry out the most important activities in the management of
plantations such as: pruning, thinning, cleaning, protection, management of
regrowth and natural regeneration. If all of the above activities are carried out, it
will be possible to maintain the plantation for life, achieving sustained yield in
your forest.
Forestry treatments:

Cleaning : Weeds do not provide any benefit and affect the

trees when they are small and also large trees are affected by
vines, plants or parasitic plants, for example; the matapalo

Pruning: Trees whose wood is considered valuable for

construction are pruned. The first pruning is done when the
trees reach three meters in height, the second is done after the
first thinning.

Thinning: When the trees grow, they occupy more space than
at the beginning of the plantation, this space generates
competition between trees, affecting the growth of each tree, so
it is necessary to thin out which consists of choosing the best
individuals and eliminating the poorly formed ones. so that
those chosen as “best” have more space and develop better.
Sprouting management: A large majority of trees have
the capacity to sprout, ensuring future planting, which
is why management is important. When the sprouts
reach more than 1 meter in height, four of the most
vigorous are chosen on each stump. The following year,
the best of the four is chosen and a new tree is created.

Natural regeneration: Along with nature some young

trees grow called natural regeneration, this activity is
very important because it means that costs are reduced
and the seedlings only have to be intensively protected
in the first two years, for example against fires, pests
and must make the respective comaleo of the plants.

Protection: Every plantation always needs care against

pests, fires and animals. For this reason, it is necessary
to design a protection plan that includes all relevant
activities. In order to ensure the establishment of the
plantations.
 5 Species selection
A defined approach is required for the selection of species, which is equally
important as for the choice of the site to be planted. The selection of species must
respond to two basic criteria, one exclusively economic, the other ecological
forestry.

1. Satisfy a need to provide certain woody raw material for which forest
regulations or the needs of local markets must be considered, and also propose
silvicultural management according to industrial requirements, distances from
markets or own production (short shifts without thinning, or intermediate with
thinning; small-sized “firewood” or “shredding” type material, and thick sawn
material).

2. The selection of species must take into account the ecological elements of the
place (edaphic and climatic factors), to which due attention must be paid well in
advance of the implementation of the plan, to choose species and propose their
best location on the ground. . In this sense, there are species that have notable
degrees of adaptation to very variable ecological conditions, that grow in
conditions of high or minimal ambient humidity and wide climatic range, both in
loose and compact soils, deep or superficial, rich or poor.
 6. Planting or growing trees
Eucalyptus production system

The production of eucalyptus for reforestation represents an interesting alternative

for the producer. Currently, obtaining seedlings is carried out using clones, with
the aim of obtaining identical materials of adequate quality, shape, growth and
health.

The production of eucalyptus trees for reforestation can be done in two ways: by
using seeds on the one hand and by using clones on the other. The current trend is
to produce 90% from clones and leave only 10% to do it with seeds. This is due to
the advantages that one system offers in relation to the other.

In seed production, it must be taken into account that the seed is the result of
sexual reproduction, so each plant obtained will have something from the father
and the mother, consequently there will be genetic variability. On the other hand,
when we talk about clones we have the same, superior individual, which was
selected and multiplied vegetatively. In this way, thousands of plants identical to
the original with their characteristics, shape, growth, and health can be obtained
from one plant.
Comparatively, there is a difference in growth of 30% between plantations
obtained by clones, in relation to those from seeds.

Clonal plantations offer a type of wood with greater uniformity, while

those that come from seeds have variability in color, hardness, wood
density and percentage of cracking, among others.

The clones grow 30% faster, meaning that instead of waiting 13 to 14 years
to harvest the species, the time will be reduced to 10 or 11 years.
 Advantages of using clones

1. Uniformity in the wood obtained.

2. Growth uniformity.
3. Speed in plant development.

Considering that the use of clones will lead to the

obtaining of identical individuals, it is recommended to
plant five different clones so that, in the event that one
of them is attacked by a disease, it is detected and
eliminated from the beginning, ruling out risks in The
plantation. When the material is cloned, it develops the
same conditions in its clones.

When a person decides to get involved in a forestry

project, they must strictly define what the objective of
the plantation will be, that is, if they are going to work
with solid wood or dedicate themselves to biomass
(firewood production), because the silvocultural
treatments are different.
 Production objectives
solid wood

In enterprises dedicated to the production of solid wood, they work with 800
plants per hectare in the first year. Then, in the second year, the first thinning is
carried out, where the plant density decreases to 400 per ha. In the fifth year, the
second thinning is done and the number of plants is reduced from 400 to 200 per
hectare. Finally, these plants will be up to 10 or 12 years old for the final cut or
clear felling.
Biomass

Biomass production refers to the production of firewood. In this case, about

1,300 seedlings per hectare can be planted at the beginning. No pruning or
thinning is done and the entire plantation is harvested in the sixth or seventh
year. After the harvest, the sprouts from the stumps can be used and a selection
and new management can be made for another subsequent harvest in another
six to seven years.

Silvopastoral system

Several livestock companies opt for the silvopastoral system, in which the
distance between the planting rows increases by 6 to 8 m, and 2 to 2.3 m between
plants. This provides about 625 plants per ha. The silvopastoral system is
interesting for the producer since it will be able to offer two different products:
meat and wood. The commercialization of meat will amortize the cost of
implementing reforestation and this, in turn, will provide animal well-being:
protection in the winter and shade in the summer. This is how complementation
is achieved between one activity and another.
 Technical aspects
Among the technical aspects to take into account, soil preparation remains
essential, and should be carried out in the following way.

Preparation is carried out in strips with a disc harrow only in the plantation lines,
with widths of 2 meters and distances of 4 meters. In this way, the costs of the
activity are reduced. Afterwards, 2 or 3 passes should be made until a well-fluffy
soil is obtained. Another option is the use of subsoilers, requiring at least 3 tines:
one in the front and two in the back; The first one opens a furrow, and the two
later ones close it; It must also have a pair of dislocated discs with floating axles to
break up clods.
Ant control

Ant control should be carried out at least a month before the start of planting. In
the first pass, the anthills should be identified and differentiate, if possible, the
genus of ants to which they belong; that is, if they are Atta (ysau) or Acromyrmex
(akẽkẽ).
To control the akẽkẽ, upon finding the anthill, a hole must be made in the center of
it, so that 5 grams of anticide (fipronil-based granulated bait) can be placed; The
hole must later be covered.

To control ysaú, when you find the anthill, you should measure its surface and put
10 grams of anticide (fipronil-based granulated bait) per square meter of anthill,
distributing it 20 centimeters from the main entrances, without obstructing the
lanes. Applications must be made on dry soil.
Pre-plant herbicide application

Always taking into account the characteristics

of temperature, humidity, wind speed and
other important points to avoid affecting
neighboring establishments, weed control
products will be applied.

The application of herbicides will be carried

out in the immediately preceding row, using a
total herbicide (glyphosate 4-5 l hectare) to
control existing weeds and a pre-emergent
(isoxaflutole 130 gr/ha - oxyfluorfen 4-5 l/ha),
to control the germination of seeds present in
the soil.
Ideal seedling

The ideal seedling to be used in a

plantation is one that has a stem diameter
between 2 to 3 millimeters, as well as a
height between 25 to 35 centimeters and
active roots, with good development.

The good condition of the roots is checked

by removing the seedling from the
container (tube or tray), where it should
have white roots. This means that the
plant is active and guarantees a high yield
percentage. The presence of brown or
black roots indicates a deteriorated root
system with low chances of taking root.
Plantation
It is done in the center of the prepared row, with variable distances, depending on
the desired objective. If you want solid wood without knots and with high added
value, a distance of 3 meters between plants is recommended, giving a density of
833 plants per hectare. In the case of wood for energy purposes (biomass), 1.9
meters are left between plants, obtaining a density of 1,315 plants per hectare.

For the actual planting, a well is dug in the center of the prepared strip, the
seedling is placed, covered with soil and lightly compressed with the feet around
the plant. Each operator must have a short stick and a stick to measure the
planting distance.

On days with low soil moisture, the dry soil should be removed from the top and
planted in the moist area. Between day 5 and day 10 of planting, a review will be
carried out to replace any faults that may exist in the table due to poor planting.

It is advisable to submerge the seedling substrate bread immediately before

planting, in a solution of imidacloprid, at a rate of 1 gram/liter to control
underground insects such as kupi'i.
Post-planting weed control
Failure replanting

In case of new losses of seedlings, it is

advisable not to exceed 45 days from
planting to carry out the operation;
Otherwise, the replanted plants will not be
able to reach the height and diameter of the
first ones, giving rise to a heterogeneous
plantation.

Fertilization

100 grams of formula 04-30-10 fertilizer

should be placed per plant, distributed in
circles, at a distance of 25 centimeters from
the plant. There is no need to incorporate or
cover the fertilizer with soil. Fertilization will
be carried out no more than 15 days after
planting.
During the first twelve months after establishing
the plantation, the row must remain free of weeds,
at least one meter on each side of the row. This
guarantees the good development of the plants.
The Eucalyptus spp. and their hybrids are
extremely sensitive to competition with weeds,
and if not controlled, they generate a
heterogeneous plantation and growth delays,
which cannot be recovered.

For control, glyphosate is used (5 to 6 l/ha) in

directed applications, avoiding application on the
seedling, using anti-drift spikes. In case of grasses
resistant to glyphosate, cletodyn (1.4 l/ha) +
glyphosate is used.

Typically, 2 to 4 post-plant weed controls are

necessary in the row during the first year.
Post-planting weed control

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