Narrow-crowned spruce as a fibre-crop tree

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ANNUAL REPORT 2005

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entrepreneurship and      
forest environment      
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Photo: Erkki Oksanen

The narrow-crowned spruce (Picea abies f. pendula) might be suitable for growing as a fibre-crop tree with short term rotation of approximately 30 years. In a Metla study, clones and progenies of 13 to 18-year-old pendula spruces and normal-crowned spruces were compared on a test site in southern Finland. The results showed that the narrow-crowned spruce uses its per-unit area of growth more efficiently than the normal-crowned spruce. This means that higher planting densities could be used for narrow-crowned spruce seedlings.

No significant differences were observed in the characteristics of paper made from the different crown-type trees. When fibre length and quality of pendula and normal crowned spruces were compared, fibres were somewhat longer and more uniform in pendula spruce. No significant differences were observed in incidents of root rot between the different crown-type trees.

The narrow-crowned spruce plantations were at least as profitable as planting normal-crowned spruce. A rotation period of 30 years without thinning was used for pendula spruce, whereas the silvicultural forest management guidelines were followed for normal-crowned spruce. The following risk factors were omitted in the calculations: long rotation period, root rot due to thinnings, and storm damage due to climate change.

Additional information: www.metla.fi/hanke/3351/index-en.htm

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