TITLE:
Pure and Mixed Plantations of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Cupressus lusitanica: Their Growth Interactions and Effect on Diversity and Density of Undergrowth Woody Plants in Relation to Light
AUTHORS:
Shiferaw Alem, Jindrich Pavlis, Josef Urban, Jiri Kucera
KEYWORDS:
Diversity, Growth, Light, Mixed Plantation, Pure Plantation, Woody Plants
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.5 No.4,
April
8,
2015
ABSTRACT: Published
results on the growth interactions of non-nitrogen fixing mixed plantations
species, and their impact on the regeneration of woody plants are scant. This
paper addresses the growth interactions of pure and mixed plantations of Eucalyptus
camaldulensis and Cupressus lusitanica and their impact on the regeneration of woody plants in
relation with light. Data on the regenerated woody plants, individual
characteristics of the plantation species and light reaching under the canopies
were collected using sample plots (n = 4) with a size of 20 m × 20 m for each plantation type.
The result showed that, E. camaldulensis was suppressing the growth of C.
lusitanica while its growth was favored when it was mixed with C. lusitanica (p p > 0.05). Density of
plantation trees were found not having a significant relationship with
diversity of species (p = 0.801).
There was a significant but not direct relationship between light reached in
the understory of the canopies and diversity of species in the plantations (p = 0.027). Overall, the result
indicated that both the pure and the mixed plantations were favoring the
recruitment of woody plants.