Abstract
The management of high-quality timber plantations prioritizes obtaining high productions with short rotation cycles, which results in high economic and environmental costs, similar to intensive agricultural systems. The suppression of the herbaceous understorey by ploughing, and the use of fertilizers to boost tree growth potentially pose high environmental risks. Managing these plantations as silvopastoral systems (e.g. by introducing livestock and sowing legume-rich pastures) could reduce environmental risks. However, this management shift can only be effective if it is accompanied by an increased complementarity in the use of soil resources to maintain production. We evaluated rooting systems, tree water status and growth, pasture production, soil moisture and nitrate content in the soil solution in a 13-year-old hybrid walnut (Juglans major × regia) plantation under alternative management schemes. The management aimed at reducing herbaceous understorey cover (grazing, ploughing and mowing) and fertilizer usage (no fertilization, inorganic fertilization and legume sowing). Grazed and mowed plots had higher root surface density than ploughed plots. Ploughed plots also showed lower values of soil water (in summer) and tree leaf water potential than grazed and mowed plots. Tree growth and nitrate content in the soil solution was higher in ploughed than grazed or mowed plots. Fertilized and sown plots had higher understorey biomass and lower soil water (in summer) than unfertilized plots. Tree growth was higher in fertilized than unfertilized plots, with intermediate values in sown plots. Managing high-quality timber plantations under silvopastoral schemes with improved legume-rich forages might be a feasible way to reduce the high ecological maintenance costs of these plantations, without compromising their productivity.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Bosques Naturales S.A. for technical support. This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2006-09435/FOR) and the European Union (Agforward, FP7-KBBE-2013-7; No. 613520). V. Rolo was supported by a “Talento” fellowship (TA18022) funded by the regional government of Extremadura (Spain).
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Appendix 1
Appendix 1
See Fig. 6.
Monthly total precipitation and mean temperature in the area of the experiments in 2012–2014 at the Madrigal de la Vera station (40° 9′ 14″ N, 5° 22′ 24″ W, 464 m.a.s.l) in central-western Spain (year–month)
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López-Díaz, M.L., Benítez, R., Rolo, V. et al. Managing high quality timber plantations as silvopastoral systems: tree growth, soil water dynamics and nitrate leaching risk. New Forests 51, 985–1002 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-020-09770-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-020-09770-w