Influence of Spacing and Application of Pruning on the Conicity, Density, and Ratio of Heartwood/Sapwood of Eucalyptus Wood

The study aimed to evaluate the influence of planting spacing and artificial pruning on the basic wood density and stem conicity of a eucalyptus clone. The experiment was conducted in a 100-month-old eucalyptus clone stand using a randomized block design with three replications. Factorial schemes of 3×2×3 were used for relative stem conicity and 3×2×6 for basic wood density. Relative stem conicity and basic wood density were assessed considering spacing and pruning factors. Pruning and spacing affected stem conicity, with lower conicity observed at wider spacings. In both unpruned and pruned trees, conicity was greater in the upper log and smaller in the middle log. Basic density varied with sampling height along the tree at all spacings, except at 3.0 m and 4.5 m, where density was higher across all spacings. Basic density also varied with sampling position along the tree. Analysis of basic density at different heights, with and without artificial pruning, showed higher densities at all positions when pruning was applied. Without pruning, the 4.5 m position and the base had higher densities, while with pruning only the base showed higher basic density. Planting spacing combined with artificial pruning influenced the relative conicity of the log and the basic wood density up to a height of six meters from the stem.

Cite this article as: Flach, L. C., Lima, A. P. L. d., Lima, S. F. d., Soratto, D. N., Devolio, G. A. T., Gonçalves, S. A. d. O., Nogueira, V. D. F., & Nunes, R. d. C. B. (2026). Influence of spacing and application of pruning on the conicity, density, and ratio of heartwood/sapwood of eucalyptus wood. Forestist, 76, 0059, doi: 10.5152/forestist.2026.25059.