Evaluation of site index classes for Pinus caribaea var. caribaea in the Integral Forest Company Macurije (Pinar del Río, Cuba)

Abstract

González Izquierdo, E., Barredo Medel, H., Carrasco Rodríguez Y. 2013. Evaluation of site index classes for Pinus caribaea var. caribaea in the Integral Forest Company Macurije (Pinar del Río, Cuba). Ecosistemas 22(3):46-51. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2013.22-3.07.

Evaluation of site index classes for Pinus caribaea var. caribaea in the Integral Forest Company Macurije (Pinar del Río, Cuba).The research was carried out in stands of Pinus caribaea var. caribaea in plantations of the Integral Forest Company (IFC) Macurije (22º 06´ y 22º 42´ North latitude and 83º 48´ y 84º 23´ longitude West) belonging to the province of Pinar del Río (western Cuba). The objective of this work was to evaluate the classes of site index of Pinus caribaea var. caribaea in the Integral Forest Company Macurije to correlate them with the proprieties of soil, allowing then to estimate growth of pine stands based on soil features. To do so, we took a random sample of 50 stands among the 677 existent stands in this company, having as variable of interest the site index and as prediction variables: soil type, texture, saturation, humifycation, depth of the soil, pedological depth and topographical slope. These variables were chosen to the strong influence on the site quality. We chose as restrictions for the selection that there should be 10 stands for each site index (SI), and that they are in the age classes superior to 10 years. A model of regression lineal multiple step by step was developed, which explained the existent relationship between the edaphic variables and the topographical slope with the site index. The best model explained 30 % of the variation in site quality. The soil subtype and the topographical slope were the most explanatory variables in the site index. Therefore, they should be taken as reference when planning the forest administration of the plantations of Pinus caribaea var. caribaea.