What are the main variables influencing cork thickness?

1. Evaluate the influence of tree size, stand characteristics, debarking coefficients and climatic variables on cork thickness and its evolution between consecutive cork extraction operations, i.e. between successive cork growth periods (cgp). Cork growth is assessed using the cgi, defined as the radial width of the first eight complete years of cork growth after stripping.
2. Assess the impact of the increase in debarking intensity on cork growth. Debarking intensity is quantified by the cork debarking coefficient – the ratio of the vertical debarking height to the perimeter at breast height, measured over cork.

Grasping how variables affect cork thickness can guide forest managers towards sustainable practices. The cork oak permanent plots network from the Forest Research Centre (ISA/CEF) across varying edaphoclimatic conditions allows assessing annual cork growth in consecutive cork extraction operations, adding to the knowledge needed for efficient decision-making, management and development of decision support tools. Two long-term experimental trials, installed in stands with high and low productivity, complement this dataset; three levels of debarking intensity at the first cork extraction are compared.

Joana Amaral Paulo, joanaap@isa.ulisboa.pt

Margarida Tomé, magatome@isa.ulisboa.pt

Paulo, J.A., Pereira, H., Tomé, M., 2017. Analysis of variables influencing tree cork caliper in two consecutive cork extractions using cork growth index modelling. Agroforest Systems, 91: 221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-9922-2

Paulo, J.A. and Tomé, M., 2017. Does debarking intensity during the first cork extraction affect future cork thickness? Annals of Forest Science 74: 66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-017-0662-x