María Pasalodos-Tato 
,
Timo Pukkala,
Antonio Rigueiro-Rodríguez,
Esther Fernández-Nunez,
María Rosa Mosquera-Losada
Optimal management of Pinus radiata silvopastoral systems established on abandoned agricultural land in Galicia (north-western Spain)
Pasalodos-Tato M., Pukkala T., Rigueiro-Rodríguez A., Fernández-Nunez E., Mosquera-Losada M. R. (2009). Optimal management of Pinus radiata silvopastoral systems established on abandoned agricultural land in Galicia (north-western Spain). Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 5 article id 176. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.176
Abstract
Timber production has been the main objective in forest production in Galicia for a long time. Nevertheless, factors such as fire risk and the need to obtain non-timber benefits make other production alternatives like silvopastoral systems worth of consideration. Integration of grazing in the production system not only diversifies products and benefits, but also decreases fire risk by enhancing fuel control. Nonetheless, few studies have examined the economic profitability of these systems. This article analyses the economics of silvopastoral systems established on abandoned agricultural soils afforested with Pinus radiata D. Don. Different tree planting densities, discounting rates, grass values and fire risk scenarios were analysed. The technique employed is based on the combination of an optimization algorithm and a simulator of stand growth and grass yield. The most profitable schedules were obtained with initial stand densities of 1500 trees per hectare. However, with high unit values of pasture production (high value of grass), schedules with an initial stand density of 500 trees per hectare were the most profitable. When the risk of fire was included in the analyses, silvopastoral systems were always more profitable than timber production systems. With an assumption that grazing reduces fire risk thinnings should be done earlier and heavier to reduce the expected losses due to fire and to promote grass production. This lengthens the pasture period. In general, rotation lengt
Keywords
simulation;
economic profitability;
optimization;
risk reduction;
salvage
-
Pasalodos-Tato,
INIA, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria. Madrid, Spain
E-mail
pasalodos.maria@inia.es
- Pukkala, University of East Finland, Joensuu, Finland E-mail tp@nn.fi
- Rigueiro-Rodríguez, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E-mail arr@nn.es
- Fernández-Nunez, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E-mail efn@nn.es
- Mosquera-Losada, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E-mail mrml@nn.es
Received 15 April 2009 Accepted 13 November 2009 Published 31 December 2009
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