Reforestation and substitution of tree species in public utility land in the province of Soria (Spain), 1940-1975

Abstract

In the mid-twentieth century, in the centre of the province of Soria there was a wooded area made up of vigorous stands of Quercus pyrenaica exploited in the form of coppice forest. Given their good condition, some of these stands came under management projects that were aimed at ensuring the persistence of the tree cover and increasing their production levels and profitability. However, since the beginning of the 1960s, these sites underwent a profound transformation of their tree cover as a result of the works carried out by the State Forest Heritage. The persistent decline of the price of firewood and the consequent decrease in the income generated by coppicing practices, along with the increased demand for soft wood, were the main arguments used by the SFH to defend the conversion of these coppice hardwood stands into high forests of conifers. Moreover, this study aims to demonstrate that afforestation with conifers within the Spanish mainland could also respond to strictly productive criteria, in spite of what has sometimes been stated because of the usual slow growth rates associated.