Growth effects of thinning damage in a Corsican pine (Pinus laricio Poiret) stand in central Italy

Damage to residual stand after partial harvesting or thinning may lead to serious economic losses in terms of both timber quality at the final harvest, and tree growth reduction. Logging damages and their effect on tree growth were studied in a long term experiment on Corsican pine in central Italy. Damage frequency, agent (felling, skidding), position (root damage, stem base, between 0.3 and 1 m a.g.l., >1 m a.g.l.) and severity (light, severe) and tree growth were measured after selective thinning from below and at 10 years after the treatment. In detail, we aimed at: monitoring mechanical damages to trees at the end of thinning and after 10 years; and assessing stand stability, growing stock, ring width and basal area at 10 years after the thinning. The thinning removed about 20% of volume, 38% of trees and 26% of basal area. The basal area decreased from 56 m² ha⁻¹ to 42 m² ha⁻¹ but after 10 years it increased again to 56 m² ha⁻¹. Immediately after thinning, 13.6% of the standing trees was damaged, out of these 36.17% showed severe injuries. Damages to standing trees were mainly due to skidding. Ten years after thinning, the percentage of damaged trees was about 17%, out of which 86.67% showed severe wounds. An increase of damaged trees and of trees with severe wounds was observed suggesting that a deeper knowledge on long-term effect of logging damages is needed. This study did not highlight any effect of logging damage on tree growth. In fact, no difference in ring width was recorded between damaged and undamaged trees.