Forest Systems 34 (1)
January-April 2025, 20952
ISSN-L: 2171-5068, eISSN: 2171-9845
https://doi.org/10.5424/fs/2025341-20952

Prescribed underburning before resin tapping does not affect resin yield in Pinus pinaster Ait. stands

La ejecución de quemas prescritas antes de la resinación no afecta a la producción de resina en rodales de Pinus pinaster Ait.

Javier Madrigal

Instituto de Ciencias Forestales, (ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC), 28040 Madrid, España.

ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, España.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7614-0737

Cristina Carrillo-García,

Instituto de Ciencias Forestales, (ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC), 28040 Madrid, España.

ETSI Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, España.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7486-072X

Aida Rodríguez-García

Fundación CESEFOR, 42005 Soria, España.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5497-5116

David González-Sancho

TRAGSA, TSUP Incendios y Emergencias. Operaciones Tragsa / G. Incendios y Emergencias. Grupo Tragsa – SEPI. 28006 Madrid, España.

Mercedes Guijarro

Instituto de Ciencias Forestales, (ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC), 28040 Madrid, España.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6460-9171

Juncal Espinosa

Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Gestión Forestal Sostenible, UVa, 34004 Palencia, España.

Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences. UTAD, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6765-8446

Carmen Hernando

Instituto de Ciencias Forestales, (ICIFOR-INIA, CSIC), 28040 Madrid, España.

Celia García-Feced

Área de Defensa contra Incendios Forestales. Subdirección General de Política Forestal y Lucha contra la Desertificación. Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, 28071 Madrid, España.

Abstract

Aim of study: To assess the effect of prescribed underburning (PB) and tapping on resin yields in maritime pine stands. We hypothesized that PB reduces fire hazard, generates stress at the cambium level and potentially increases the number of resin canals and resin yield after tapping.

Area of study: Northern Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, central-eastern Spain.

Material and methods: Six 50 m x 50 m plots were established in a Pinus pinaster Ait. stand, three of which were burned and tapped in 2018 and three controls plots (tapped only). Resin yield was monitored in 90 trees over four years (2018-2021). A Generalised Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) for repeated measures was used to analyse resin production. Average resin yield per tree was predicted by Treatment as a fixed between-subject factor (two levels: Tapping only vs PB+Tapping) and years as within-subject factor (four levels: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021). Plot and tree were considered random factors.

Main results: The GLMM revealed the significant effect of time (years after tapping), plot and tree. However, the potential effect of meteorology (time), site (plot) and the interaction between fire and individual trees (stress that potentially increases number of resin canals) did not generally have any effect on resin yield at stand level. The resin yield was maintained in burned and tapped plots relative to the tapped only control stand.

Research highlights: Prescribed underburning before tapping in order to reduce fire hazard is compatible with tapping P. pinaster stands but does not increase the resin yield.

Keywords: 
adaptive forest management; bioeconomy; fire prevention; integrated fire management; wildfire vulnerability.
Resumen

Objetivo del estudio: Evaluar el efecto de la quema prescrita (QP) y la resinación sobre la producción de resina en rodales de pino marítimo. Planteamos la hipótesis de que la QP reduce el peligro de incendio, genera estrés a nivel del cambium y potencialmente aumenta el número de canales resiníferos y la producción de resina después de la resinación.

Área de estudio: Meseta Norte de la Península Ibérica, centro-este de España.

Material y métodos: Se establecieron seis parcelas de 50 m x 50 m en un rodal de Pinus pinaster Ait., tres de las cuales fueron quemadas y resinadas en 2018 y tres parcelas de control (solo resinadas). Se monitoreó la producción de resina en 90 árboles durante cuatro años (2018-2021). Se utilizó un Modelo Lineal Mixto Generalizado (GLMM) de medidas repetidas para analizar la producción de resina. El rendimiento promedio de resina por árbol se predijo mediante el tratamiento como factor fijo inter sujetos (dos niveles: solo resinación vs. QP + resinación) y los años como factor intra sujeto (cuatro niveles: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021). La parcela y el árbol se consideraron factores aleatorios.

Resultados principales: El GLMM reveló el efecto significativo del tiempo (años después de la resinación), la parcela y el árbol. Sin embargo, el efecto potencial de la meteorología (tiempo), el sitio (parcela) y la interacción entre el fuego y los árboles individuales (estrés que potencialmente aumenta el número de canales de resina) generalmente no tuvo ningún efecto en el rendimiento de resina a nivel de rodal. El rendimiento de resina se mantuvo sin significación en las parcelas quemadas y resinadas respecto al rodal de control, solo resinado.

Aspectos destacados de la investigación: La ejecución de quema prescrita antes de la resinación para reducir el riesgo de incendio es compatible con el método tradicional en España en rodales de Pinus pinaster mediante resinación de caras abiertas, pero no aumenta el rendimiento de resina.

Palabras clave: 
bioeconomía; gestión forestal adaptativa; gestión integrada del fuego; prevención de incendios; vulnerabilidad a incendios forestales.

Received: 10/09/2024. Accepted: 13/11/2024. Published: 25/04/2025

Citation: Madrigal, J; Carrillo-García,, C; Rodríguez-García, A; González-Sancho, D; Guijarro, M; Espinosa, J; Hernando, C; García-Feced, C (2025). Prescribed underburning before resin tapping does not affect resin yield in Pinus pinaster Ait. stands. Forest Systems, Volume 34, Issue 1, 20952. https://doi.org/10.5424/fs/2025341-20952

CONTENT

Introduction

 

Prescribed underburning (PB) is a silvicultural treatment widely used worldwide and has multiple objectives (Pyne et al., 1996Pyne SJ, Andrews PL, Laven RD, 1996. Introduction to wildland fire. No. Ed. 2. John Wiley and Sons.
), including reduction of the forest fuel load below the canopy in Pinus stands in order to prevent forest fires (e.g. Espinosa et al., 2020Espinosa J, Rodríguez de Rivera O, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, Hernando C, 2020. Predicting potential cambium damage and fire resistance in Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. salzmannii. For Ecol Manage 474: 118372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118372
). Although the implementation of PB for forest management in Spain was first suggested in the 1980s, it was not until the last decade that Autonomous Communities and Spanish Central Administration made efforts to train forest firefighters in planning and executing PB (Fernandes et al., 2022Fernandes P, Rossa C, Madrigal J, Rigolot E, Ascoli D, Hernando C, Guiomar NG, Guijarro M, 2022. Prescribed burning in the European Mediterranean Basin. In: Global application of prescribed fire, pag. 230-248. CSICO Publishing, Australia.
). The technique is used in Pinus pinaster Ait. stands in Portugal, whereas in Spain it is used as management tool in maritime pine stands in some autonomous regions. The National Programme for experimental prescribed underburning (González-Sancho et al., 2020González-Sancho D, Gómez-Molino R, Álvarez-Palomares R, López-Santalla A, 2020. Programa nacional de quemas prescritas experimentales bajo arbolado. Montes 142: 34-40
; García-Feced et al., 2022García-Feced C, González-Sancho D, Gómez-Molino R, Álvarez-Palomares R, Iglesias-Rodrigo A, López-Santalla A, 2022. Programa nacional de quemas prescritas experimentales bajo arbolado. 8CFE - 347. Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales. https://8cfe.congresoforestal.es/cat/node/4594
), funded by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), was launched in 2012 with the aim of fostering application of the treatment across Spain. This programme has also focused on PB in P. pinaster stands (Rodríguez-García et al. 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
). Nevertheless, studies on the effect of PB on trees are scarce in Spain (Valor et al., 2015Valor T, González-Olabarria JR, Piqué M. 2015. Assessing the impact of prescribed burning on the growth of European pines. For Ecol Manage 343: 101-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2015.02.002
; Espinosa et al., 2018Espinosa J, Madrigal J, De La Cruz AC, Guijarro M, Jiménez E, Hernando C. 2018. Short-term effects of prescribed burning on litterfall biomass in mixed stands of Pinus nigra and Pinus pinaster and pure stands of Pinus nigra in the Cuenca Mountains (Central-Eastern Spain). Sci Total Environ 618: 941-951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.291
, 2020Espinosa J, Rodríguez de Rivera O, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, Hernando C, 2020. Predicting potential cambium damage and fire resistance in Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. salzmannii. For Ecol Manage 474: 118372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118372
, 2021Espinosa J, Martin-Benito D. Rodríguez de Rivera Ó, Hernando C, Guijarro M, Madrigal J, 2021. Tree growth response to low-intensity prescribed burning in Pinus nigra stands: Effects of burn season and fire severity. Appl Sci 11(16): 7462. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167462
; Madrigal et al., 2023Madrigal J, Rodríguez de Rivera Ó, Carrillo C, Guijarro M, Hernando C, Vega JA, Martín-Pinto P, Molina JR, Fernández C, Espinosa J, 2023. Empirical Modelling of Stem Cambium Heating Caused by Prescribed Burning in Mediterranean Pine Forest. Fire 6(11): 430. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6110430
). To our knowledge, only the previously mentioned study, carried out by our research group, has assessed the effect of PB on resin canals in tapped P. pinaster stands (Rodríguez-García et al., 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
).

Prescribed underburning tries to minimize the impact of fire on trees (Espinosa et al., 2020Espinosa J, Rodríguez de Rivera O, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, Hernando C, 2020. Predicting potential cambium damage and fire resistance in Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. salzmannii. For Ecol Manage 474: 118372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118372
, 2021Espinosa J, Martin-Benito D. Rodríguez de Rivera Ó, Hernando C, Guijarro M, Madrigal J, 2021. Tree growth response to low-intensity prescribed burning in Pinus nigra stands: Effects of burn season and fire severity. Appl Sci 11(16): 7462. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167462
) and it can be used to prune and thin young stands. Nevertheless, some studies have shown that PB increases the exudates and resin-producing capacity of trees and leads to alterations in the resin composition (Lombardero et al., 2006Lombardero MJ, Ayres MP, Ayres BD, 2006. Effects of fire and mechanical wounding on Pinus resinosa resin defenses, beetle attacks, and pathogens. For Ecol Manage 225: 349-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2006.01.010
; Perrakis et al., 2011Perrakis DD, Agee JK, Eglitis A, 2011. Effects of prescribed burning on mortality and resin defenses in old growth ponderosa pine (Crater Lake, Oregon): Four years of post-fire monitoring. Natural Areas J 31(1): 14-25. https://doi.org/10.3375/043.031.0103
), as well as altering the resin ducts (Perrakis et al., 2011Perrakis DD, Agee JK, Eglitis A, 2011. Effects of prescribed burning on mortality and resin defenses in old growth ponderosa pine (Crater Lake, Oregon): Four years of post-fire monitoring. Natural Areas J 31(1): 14-25. https://doi.org/10.3375/043.031.0103
; Hood et al., 2015Hood S, Sala A, Heyerdahl EK, Boutin M, 2015. Low severity fire increases tree defense against bark beetle attacks. Ecology 96(7): 1846-1855. https://doi.org/10.1890/14-0487.1
). An increase in resin production in the year of execution of the PB and in the following years may therefore be expected due to the synthesis of terpenes as a response mechanism to a wound or stress conditions for the plant (Knebel et al., 2008Knebel L, Robison DJ, Wentworth TR, Klepzig KD, 2008. Resin flow responses to fertilization, wounding and fungal inoculation in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) in North Carolina. Tree Physiol 28: 847-53. https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/28.6.847
), potentially improving the resin yield (Rodríguez-García et al., 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
) and resilience to potential outbreaks (Vilà-Vilardell et al., 2024Vilà-Vilardell L, Tepley AJ, Sala A, Casals P, Hood SH. 2024. Long-term sensitivity of ponderosa pine axial resin ducts to harvesting and prescribed burning, For Ecol Manage 572: 122301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122301
).

Resin sector was a main activity in the Iberian Peninsula until the second half of the past century (Palma et al., 2016Palma, A., Pereira, J. M., & Soares, P, 2016. Resin tapping activity as a contribution to the management of maritime pine forest. Forest systems, 25(2), 18. http://dx.doi.org/10.5424/fs/2016252-08925
), but almost disappeared in the late 1970′s. In the last 20 years, the increasing demand of natural renewable resources, and the raising of resin price were favouring a progressive resurgence of the resin sector (Rodriguez-García et al., 2016Rodríguez-García, A., Martín, J.A., López, R., Sanz, A., Gil, L., 2016. Effect of four tapping methods on anatomical traits and resin yield in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.). Ind Crops Prod 86, 143-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2016.03.033
, 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
). In the context of revitalising resin activity due to the current market situation (Clopeau et al., 2022Clopeau A, Lacerda R, Orazio C, 2022. Evolution du marché international de la gemme depuis 1930 et situation en 2020. Revue Forestière Française 73(4): 499-511. https://doi.org/10.20870/revforfr.2021.5566
), the extensive monospecific stands of P. pinaster in the Northern Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula have a strong potential to revitalize the bioeconomy in rural areas (Rodríguez-García & Martínez-Carreira, 2022Rodríguez-García A, Martínez-Carreira E, 2022. Estado de la técnica y del mercado en la producción y consumo de resinas naturales. Montes 147: 30-34.
). These products have multiple uses in different industrial sectors and also provides relevant complementary ecosystem services such as fire protection and rural employment (Soliño et al., 2018Soliño, M., Yu, T., Alía, R., Auñón, F., Bravo-Oviedo, A., Chambel, M.R., de Miguel, J., del Río, M., Justes, A., Martínez- Jauregui, M., Montero, G., Mutke, S., Ruiz-Peinado, R., del Barrio, J.M.G., 2018. Resin-tapped pine forests in Spain: Ecological diversity and economic valuation. Sci Tot Environ 625, 1146-1155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.027
). This includes areas in the province of Soria (Central Spain) where tapping pines trees for resin production has traditionally been carried out (Gil, 1991Gil L, 1991. Consideraciones históricas sobre Pinus pinaster Aiton en el paisaje vegetal de la Península Ibérica. Estudios geográficos. LII 202: 5-27.
) and now emerges as an option to add value where timber profitability is compromised, or low timber prices and a high risk of wildfires could be present. However, managed stands using traditional resin tapping methods are very vulnerable to wildfire. Among adaptations to the high recurrence of fires, P. pinaster generates thick bark that protects living tissues from high temperatures (Fernandes & Rigolot, 2007Fernándes PM, Rigolot E, 2007. The fire ecology and management of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.). For Ecol Manage 241(1): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.01.010
). The tapping operation makes trees very vulnerable to fire, reducing their resistance to burning. For the same reasons, carrying out PB before tapping in P. pinaster provenances with thick bark has been proposed as a suitable treatment for managing tapped stands (Rodríguez-García et al., 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
).

Analysis of the effect of PB before tapping enables evaluation of the potential of the procedure for use in P. pinaster stands. Use of PB would also improve accessibility, both for resin collectors and firefighting teams and would also reduce fire hazard due to reduction in fuel load. Rodríguez-García et al. (2018)Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
verified that burning generates a significant increase in the number of resin canals but does not produce an increase in resin yield in the same year of tapping or one year after. However, secondary defences are not usually induced in trees until the third or fourth year after disturbance (Knebel et al., 2008Knebel L, Robison DJ, Wentworth TR, Klepzig KD, 2008. Resin flow responses to fertilization, wounding and fungal inoculation in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) in North Carolina. Tree Physiol 28: 847-53. https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/28.6.847
). With the aim of testing this hypothesis, a new experimental design was applied to evaluate the resin yield four years after PB. The aim of this study was therefore to answer the following question: Does the resin yield increase in a Pinus pinaster stand when subjected to PB before tapping? The underlying study hypothesis is that PB increases the opening of the resin canals in the trees, which may be associated with an increase in resin yield (Rodríguez-García et al., 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
).

Material and methods

 

Study site and experimental design

 

The study was carried out in the municipality of Quintana Redonda, province of Soria, central-eastern Spain (Fig. 1). In 2018, six experimental plots (50 m x 50 m) were established in monospecific Pinus pinaster Ait. stands of the Spanish provenance “Castilian northern Plateau” growing on siliceous sands deposited during the Quaternary (Alía et al., 1996Alía R, Martín S, De Miguel J, Galera R, Agúndez D, Gordo J, Salvador L, Catalán G, Gil A, 1996. Regiones de procedencia Pinus pinaster Aiton. Dirección General de Conservación de la Naturaleza. Madrid. 75 pp.
). Experimental burning was carried out in three randomly assigned plots (April 2018), and the other three plots were used as controls (Fig. 1). The dendrometric characteristics of the stands are as follows (average±standard error): density = 400±43 trees/ha; height = 17±1.2 m; diameter at breast height = 44±9 cm; crown base height = 10±2.3 m; bark thickness = 4.9±0.9 cm; and cover = 80±15 %). The understorey vegetation is dominated by Cistus laurifolius L., Erica arborea L. (Average height = 1.1±0.3 m; Cover = 18±7 %) and scattered trees of Quercus faginea Lam.

Location of the study site and experimental design in Quintana Redonda (Soria province, Northern-Eastern Spain, Coordinates 41º 38’ 04’’ N; 2º 39’04’’W Altitude 1030 m). Plots 2, 3 and 6 were randomly selected for burning (April 2018) and 45 sample trees (15 trees per plot) were tapped after prescribed underburning (June 2018); plots 1, 4 and 5 were tapped (45 trees) in June 2018 (control).
Figure 1.  Location of the study site and experimental design in Quintana Redonda (Soria province, Northern-Eastern Spain, Coordinates 41º 38’ 04’’ N; 2º 39’04’’W Altitude 1030 m). Plots 2, 3 and 6 were randomly selected for burning (April 2018) and 45 sample trees (15 trees per plot) were tapped after prescribed underburning (June 2018); plots 1, 4 and 5 were tapped (45 trees) in June 2018 (control).

Data collection

 

Experimental burning was conducted in April 2018 (temperature 19 ºC, relative humidity 38%, in stand surface wind speed 3 km/h), with the strip ignition technique, at a distance of 1-2 m, downhill and facing an upslope wind. This technique is the most widely used in the study area to produce low-medium intensity fire (González-Sancho, 2020González-Sancho D, Gómez-Molino R, Álvarez-Palomares R, López-Santalla A, 2020. Programa nacional de quemas prescritas experimentales bajo arbolado. Montes 142: 34-40
) generating low stem char height (0.95±0.73 m). The fuel load was evaluated before and after burning to assess the efficacy of the treatment. Brown’s method (Brown, 1974Brown JK, 1974. Handbook for inventorying downed woody material. USDA Forest Service. Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. General Technical Report INT-16.
) was used to estimate woody fuel loads in two transects (diagonal lines of each plot) for each fuel size according to the USDA classification (Andrews et al., 2008Andrews PL, Bevins CD, Seli RC, 2008. BehavePlus fire modeling system, version 4.0: User's guide. General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-106WWW. Revised. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 132 pp.
): 1-h (needles and woody debris ø<6mm), 10-h (ø =6-25 mm), 100-h (ø=25-75 mm). Needle load was evaluated using 5 quadrats (30 x 30 cm2) per plot sited in centre of each plot (1 subplot) and in the middle of two diagonals (4 subplots).

Tapping operations were started in June 2018 in the burned and unburned plots. A sample of 15 trees per plot (45 trees in burned+tapped plots and 45 trees in tapped only plots) was randomly selected. To observe the influence of burning, the resin yield was collected, with the collaboration of a local resin worker, from tapped trees using a portable load cell (accuracy 1 g), during surveys conducted between June and September from 2018 to 2021 (4 years of monitoring).

Data analysis

 

A generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) for repeated measures was used (after checking the assumptions for use of parametric tests) to analyse production considering the four years for which the weight of resin yield was available. The treatment was analysed as the inter-subject factor, with two levels (Burning +Tapping, Tapping only), with the measurement date as the intra-subject factor, with four levels (years 2018 to 2021). Considering the hierarchical nature of the data (repeated observations in a single tree, trees measured in the same plot), a nested linear mixed model including both fixed and random effects acting at plot and tree levels was fitted. After the model was fitted, the assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity of the residuals were evaluated. Finally, the goodness of fit statistics, referring to both the marginal (not considering random effects) and conditional (including random effects) predictions were determined. The analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0 ©

Results and discussion

 

Prescribed underburning led to the consumption of 32.73±15.45% of litter biomass and 77.82±13.09% of fine fuel (<6 mm). Low intensity burning (average flame length 1±0.5m) and a conservative prescription (rate of spread higher than 1.41±0.07 m/min, fuel fine moisture content 12%) generated moderate consumption of heavier fuels (>6mm), of between 18 and 33% (Table 1). Mean consumption of the total fuel load from 1 to 100-h was 40.44±22.44% (Table 1). These values are similar to those reported for Pinus nigra and mixed P.nigra - P.pinaster stands (Espinosa et al., 2018Espinosa J, Madrigal J, De La Cruz AC, Guijarro M, Jiménez E, Hernando C. 2018. Short-term effects of prescribed burning on litterfall biomass in mixed stands of Pinus nigra and Pinus pinaster and pure stands of Pinus nigra in the Cuenca Mountains (Central-Eastern Spain). Sci Total Environ 618: 941-951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.291
and 2020Espinosa J, Rodríguez de Rivera O, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, Hernando C, 2020. Predicting potential cambium damage and fire resistance in Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. salzmannii. For Ecol Manage 474: 118372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118372
). Similar values were also reported by Rodriguez-García et al. (2018)Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
for experimental plots close to those in the present study, burned in 2015, and values obtained by the National Programme for experimental prescribed underburning (González-Sancho et al., 2020González-Sancho D, Gómez-Molino R, Álvarez-Palomares R, López-Santalla A, 2020. Programa nacional de quemas prescritas experimentales bajo arbolado. Montes 142: 34-40
, García-Feced et al., 2022García-Feced C, González-Sancho D, Gómez-Molino R, Álvarez-Palomares R, Iglesias-Rodrigo A, López-Santalla A, 2022. Programa nacional de quemas prescritas experimentales bajo arbolado. 8CFE - 347. Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales. https://8cfe.congresoforestal.es/cat/node/4594
). The results confirm the efficacy of PB in reducing fire hazard under canopy in Mediterranean ecosystems (Fernandes et al., 2022Fernandes P, Rossa C, Madrigal J, Rigolot E, Ascoli D, Hernando C, Guiomar NG, Guijarro M, 2022. Prescribed burning in the European Mediterranean Basin. In: Global application of prescribed fire, pag. 230-248. CSICO Publishing, Australia.
). Resin yields differed between the four years of study (within-subject factor) (p<0.001), with mean production levels of 1.46±0.24 kg in 2018, 1.90±0.35 kg in 2019, 1.77±0.30 kg in 2020 and 2.73±0.88 kg in 2021 (Fig. 2). However, no significant differences in production were detected within the same year (inter-subject factor) between the burned, tapped stands relative to the tapped stands (p=0.93). The GLMM revealed a significant effect of random variables (tree and plot) (p<0.01). A high level of variability among resin yield in trees and sites is common in tapped stands (Rodríguez-García et al., 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
).

Table 1.  Fuel load (kg/m2) in the three burned plots (plot 2, 3, 6, see Figure 1) before and after prescribed underburning (PB). The percentage reduction after PB is shown. Average and standard error (SE) are indicated for each fraction: litter, 1-h (ø<6mm), 10-h (ø =6-25 mm), 100-h (ø=25-75 mm).
Size class Before PB After PB % Fuel load consumed
Litter 0.89 0.60 32.73
SE 0.14 0.05 15.45
1htr 0.61 0.13 77.82
SE 0.05 0.06 13.09
10htr 1.66 1.30 17.89
SE 0.69 0.15 27.33
100htr 2.11 1.41 33.33
SE 0.71 0.15 22.27
Total Fuel Load 5.25 3.49 40.44
SE 0.59 0.53 22.44
Average resin yield per tree in the treatments under study: Tapping only and Prescribed underburning (PB)+Tapping. The GLMM did not detect any significant differences in resin yield between treatments (p=0.93) but revealed a significant effect of years (2018-2021) for the same treatment (repeated measurements) (p<0.001).
Figure 2.  Average resin yield per tree in the treatments under study: Tapping only and Prescribed underburning (PB)+Tapping. The GLMM did not detect any significant differences in resin yield between treatments (p=0.93) but revealed a significant effect of years (2018-2021) for the same treatment (repeated measurements) (p<0.001).

We expected a cumulative effect of resin yield between 2018 and 2021 (Fig. 2) related to the generation of “traumatic” resin ducts (secondary defence in response to wounding) after treatment (Ruel et al., 1998Ruel JJ, Ayres MP, Lorio JR, 1998. Loblolly pine responds to mechanical wounding with increased resin flow. Can J For Res 28(4): 596-602. https://doi.org/10.1139/x98-030
, Lombardero et al., 2000Lombardero MJ, Ayres MP, Lorio PL, Ruel JJ, 2000. Environmental effects on constitutive and inducible resin defences of Pinus taeda. Ecol Letters 3 (4):329-339. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-0248.2000.00163.x
). Nevertheless, the absence of significant differences for inter-subject factor indicates that the significant increase in the resin yield over time (Fig. 2) may be more closely related to the variability in weather and the increase in resin canals for both treatments. Therefore, the stress produced by wounds opened up during tapping operations may mask the potential effects of PB (Rodríguez-García et al., 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
).

The present study findings confirm those previously obtained by (Rodríguez-García et al., 2018Rodríguez-García A, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, González D, Hernando C, 2018. Can prescribed burning improve resin yield in a tapped Pinus pinaster stand? Ind Crops Prod 124: 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.07.049
), in which no increase in resin yield was detected in the short term (two years after burning). The experiment was specifically designed to include a longer duration of resin yield monitoring. Robust results would therefore be obtained with two independent experiments used in the same area.

The findings indicate that prescribed under canopy burning in P. pinaster stands does not increase resin yield. However, the findings also indicate that PB is an effective tool to reduce fire hazard compatible with the first tapping in tapped stands managed for resin production, as the reduction in fuel load will reduce the forest fire risk and vulnerability of tree trunks to fire (Madrigal et al., 2019Madrigal J, Souto-García J, Calama R, Guijarro M, Picos J, Hernando C, 2019. Resistance of Pinus pinea L. bark to fire. Int J Wildland Fire 28(5): 342-353. https://doi.org/10.1071/WF18118
; Espinosa et al., 2020Espinosa J, Rodríguez de Rivera O, Madrigal J, Guijarro M, Hernando C, 2020. Predicting potential cambium damage and fire resistance in Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. salzmannii. For Ecol Manage 474: 118372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118372
). The results suggest that PB would increase resin yield if a higher intensity fire (Vilà-Vilardell et al. 2024Vilà-Vilardell L, Tepley AJ, Sala A, Casals P, Hood SH. 2024. Long-term sensitivity of ponderosa pine axial resin ducts to harvesting and prescribed burning, For Ecol Manage 572: 122301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122301
) is prescribed. Thus, burn prescriptions compatible with tapped P. pinaster stands could improve the local bioeconomy.

Acknowledgements

 

Prescribed burning was conducted by MITECO’s Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigade (BRIF) in Lubia (Soria). We thank the local worker who carried out the resin tapping and calculated the resin yields with the support of Forest managers from Soria province Forest Service (Government of Castilla y León Autonomous Region).

Competing interests

 

The authors have declared that there are no competing interests.

Authors’ contributions

 

Javier Madrigal: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Cristina Carrillo-García: Data curation, Formal analysis. Aida Rodríguez-García: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. David González-Sancho: Data curation. Juncal Espinosa: Data curation, Supervision. Mercedes Guijarro: Writing – review & editing. Carmen Hernando: Project administration. Celia García-Feced: Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

 

Funding agencies/institutions Project / Grant
Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation VIS4FIRE (RTA2017-00042-C05-01) and GEPRIF (RTA2014-00011-C06-01)
EU through the FEDER programme VIS4FIRE (RTA2017-00042-C05-01)
Ministry of Science and Innovation, the European Social Fund and the State Research Agency Cristina Carrillo-García pre-doctoral aid programme (PRE2018)
European Social Fund “NextGeneration EU” Juncal Espinosa “Margarita Salas” grant
Spanish Ministry of Ecological Trasncsition (MITECO) MITECO2023-AF-20234TE001-TC MITECO-CSIC

 

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