Plantation Silviculture

Plantations of a wide range of tree species have assumed an important place in our world, providing wood for industry, fuelwood and animal fodder, protection from adverse environments and for the soil, as well as amenity and aesthetically pleasing landscapes. silvicultural knowledge of this particular branch of forestry first developed in Europe more than two centuries ago but in many parts of the world is still in a process of rapid evolution as more and more plantations are established to meet specific needs. The first exotic tree species to be established in plantations in my own country were planted more than a century ago and, likewise, New Zealand has a long history of planting. Both countries have developed a vigorous and innovative approach to plantation practice, soundly based initially on European experience but gradually modified to meet the challenges of new environments, new markets, and changed economic circumstances. This book on plantation silviculture was begun some years ago when the lack of a suitable undergraduate text for teaching purposes became apparent. The present text is aimed essentially at this audience. Although I have drawn heavily on the experience of Australia and New Zealand, the principles outlined are applicable anywhere in the world where plantations are being grown and tended, from the United States and Scandinavia to India, South Africa or Brazil. The text should also serve as a useful reference to advanced students and practicing foresters, with the reference list providing an introduction to the literature on this subject.

Plantation Silviculture in Europe provides an up-to-date, succinct, and comprehensive overview of current European plantation forestry practices. Recognising that plantation silviculture today is no longer largely a question of how to grow large-scale industrial plantations, the authors have included chapters describing other, more diverse reasons for establishing trees. Forestry practices are set in the context of the science behind them and their environmental, social and policy frameworks. Concise and clear, this will be essential reading for forestry students and professionals alike. - ;As pressures to preserve natural forest resources have increased, plantation forestry and its study have gained in importance. Plantation Silviculture in Europe is an up-to-date, timely, and comprehensive exploration of the principles that underlie the planting and maintaining of forest resources. Based on the excellent reception of Savill and Evans' Plantation Silviculture in Temperate Regions (OUP, 1986), which was largely UK-based, the inclusion of two European authors ensures that the scope of this new book extends across the entire continent. Plantation Silviculture in Europe provides a thorough overview of the central aspects of conventional plantation forestry, covering site preparation, choice of species, establishment and maintenance, nutrition, spacing, thinning and pruning, and protection. In addition, it acknowledges the changing emphasis and increasing diversity of contemporary forestry, and includes chapters on community woodlands, urban forests, plantings for amenity and sport, and energy crops. Throughout, an attempt is made to set practices in the context of the ecological and biological forest processes which underpin them. Plantation Silviculture also incorporates discussion of the many environmental, social and policy issues that surround forestry today. Concise and clearly written, this will be essential reading for graduate and undergraduate forestry students and forestry professionals alike. Likely to become the standard text throughout Europe, it also contains much material of relevance to foresters in North America, East Asia, and Australasia. -

This up-to-date volume covers topics central to an understanding of plantation silviculture, distilling much of the scientific background accumulated since plantation forestry first became a significant form of land use in the 1920s. Focusing on the basic principles of silviculture, Savill and Evans discuss general aspects of the planting and maintenance of plantation forests, consider less well-known forms of silviculture, and outline methods to protect plantations from pests, wind, fire and fungi. Based on the authors' own wide experience, this informative study includes numerous references to primary and secondary sources, making it an excellent entry into the main body of silvicultural literature.

Development of planted forests in tropical and subtropical countries is accelerating to satisfy the ever-growing global demand for wood products. It is expected that within 20 years half of all wood fibre in the world will be sourced from plantations, of which more than half are in the tropics and subtropics. Active community involvement in tree planting as part of rural development is now widespread and welcome. Plantation Forestry in the Tropics provides an overview that sets plantation silviculture in the wider context of development processes and their social, environmental and ecological impacts. The structure and approach of previous editions have been retained but every chapter has been comprehensively revised and updated. Two new chapters, one on clonal forestry, the other on ecological restoration, have been added.

This book describes the scientific principles that are used throughout the world to ensure the rapid, healthy growth of forest plantations. As the population of the world increases so does the amount of wood people use. Large areas of natural forests are being cleared every year and converted to other uses. Almost as large an area of plantation forests is being established annually to replace those lost natural forests. Eventually, plantations will produce a large proportion of the wood used around the world for firewood, building, the manufacture of paper and bioenergy. Forest plantations can also provide various environmental benefits including carbon storage, rehabilitation of degraded land, serving as disposal sites for various forms of industrial or agricultural waste and enhancing biodiversity in regions that have been largely cleared for agriculture. Whatever their motivation, plantation forest growers want their plantations to be healthy and grow rapidly to achieve their purpose as soon as possible. This book discusses how this is done. It is written for a worldwide audience, from forestry professionals and scientists through to small plantation growers, and describes how plantations may be grown responsibly and profitably.

This new edition has been completely revised to provide up-to-date accounts of silvicultural practices, rural development issues, and the wider role that tree-planting plays. The chapters on agroforestry and protection forestry have been virutally rewritten, while throughout the book theimportant place of social forestry is recognized.