Tree damage control in a cork oak forest

Reducing the amount of damages in the cork oak forest is very important in terms of the sustainability of this ecosystem. Although some of the wounds may have a natural origin (e.g. lightning), most of them have a human source linked to the management operations. The cicatrisation rate of the wounds differs from tree to tree, according to wound size, the tree vitality and the time of the year (5). The establishment of simple recommendations for the forest managers to identify the potential risks associated with the operations and consequences of these wounds can contribute to increase the cork oak vitality. 

In the cork oak, as in other trees, the protective function of the bark is often interrupted with the opening of wounds that expose the bark or the wood tissues.

Whenever there is a wound, the most superficial cells die, starting in the cells below (alive and intact) the recovery process. As the healing tissues consolidate, new changes develop. In reality, trees do not heal wounds, keeping them forever inside the woody tissue, but compartmentalized with new tissues in order to maintain the functional integrity of the structures.

Conceição Santos Silva, mcssilva@unac.pt, www.unac.pt

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