Growth rate and economic evaluation of mixed stands established with Cedrus libani and Pinus nigra

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to (1) investigate the long-term results of Cedrus libani + Pinus nigra mixed afforestation and (2) compare it with pure P. nigra afforestation in terms of wood production, economic return, and carbon (C) sequestration. The study was conducted in Elazığ-Sivrice, southeastern Turkey. Data were collected from six sample plots, and stem analysis for each species in the mixed stand was performed to reveal the growth and development of the basal-area-averaged trees. Statistical analyses showed that the pure P. nigra stands were superior to the mixed stands in terms of wood production (236 m³ ha⁻¹ vs. 150 m³ ha⁻¹), wood economic value ($19,551 ha⁻¹ vs. $11,483 ha⁻¹), and C sequestration (93 t ha⁻¹ vs. 64 t C ha⁻¹) at 54 years old. The lower values calculated for the mixed stand may have been due to the incompatible growth curves of the two species. These results imply that if the aim is to obtain wood products, pure P. nigra stands may be more advantageous than mixtures of C. libani and P. nigra for afforestation.

KEYWORDS:

• Growth traits
• afforestation
• carbon sequestration
• wood production
• mixed forests
• stem analysis

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the General Directorate of Forestry. The authors are grateful to Dr. Hüseyin Karatay from the Southwest Anatolian Forest Research Institute, Elazığ, for his help in conducting measurements on the trees in the sample plots.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.