Abstract

COLOHUA-CITLAHUA, Bernabé; GOMEZ-GUERRERO, Armando; CORREA-DIAZ, Arian  and  VARGAS HERNANDEZ, J. Jesús. Structure and characterization of Pinus hartwegii Lindl. stands in Pico de Orizaba National Park. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2024, vol.15, n.83, pp.28-54.  Epub Aug 02, 2024. ISSN 2007-1132.  https://doi.org/10.29298/rmcf.v15i83.1433.

Pico de Orizaba is a natural protected area with Pinus hartwegii forests subjected to natural and anthropogenic pressures. The objective of this study was to compare the mensuation parameters of eight stands with four exposures (N, S, E, and W) at two different altitudes (3 700 and 3 900 m). Areas with representative coverage were located and three sites of fixed dimensions of 1 000 m2 were established for each exposure-altitude combination. The collected information was complemented with images from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The highest tree density (593 trees ha-1) was obtained in the E-3 700 combination, and the lowest, in the W-3 900 area (113 trees ha-1). The extremes of minimum (11.9 m2 ha-1) and maximum (35.2 m2 ha-1) basimetric area corresponded to combinations S-3 900 and E-3 700, respectively. The basimetric area and volume decreased with the altitude. The horizontal structure showed a greater number of individuals in low diameter categories (10-40 cm), and the vertical structure in the 25 to 30 m height categories. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences between the eight combinations for the diameter (DN), total height (TA) and volume (VOL) variables. The most notable reduction was on the southern exposure, as the altitude increased from 3 700 to 3 900 m, indicating that the S-3 900 combination is less favorable for tree growth. The exposure-elevation combinations with superior mensuration parameters and more growth potential were N-3 700, E-3 700, S-3 700, and W-3 900.

Keywords : Diametric distribution; stand structure; Pico de Orizaba National Park; Pinus hartwegii Lindl.; topography; UAV.

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