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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Sweet chestnut is a relevant species in Europe for the production of timber and fruit,
alongside environmental effects such as biodiversity of protection against soil erosion. In Portugal,
chestnut is cultivated mainly for fruit production, in two areas, in the North and the South of the
country, with moderate water deficit and low slope and at altitudes higher than 500 m. The current
area (845 ha) of the southern so-called Marvão Protected Designation of Origin, of a fortyfold lower
order of magnitude by comparison with the Northern productive area, has a significant expansion
potential, given its similarity with contiguous areas in the same region. In this context, the main
objective of the present work was the evaluation through geographic information analysis of that
expansive potential, by comparison of physiographic profiling of the current production area with
contiguous areas. A GIS-based characterization of current and potential chestnut areas in Marvão
is presented. The methodology involved (i) digital profiling of the main classes/values of the
geographical spatial ecological fingerprint considering topography, soil and microclimate variables
in the areas currently occupied with sweet chestnut stands and (ii) the evaluation of the distribution
of that environmental fingerprint in the whole Marvão productive area, for extending the cultivation
to contiguous areas with a similar ecological fingerprint. An enlarged 9889 ha chestnut area was
proposed, allocated for high forest stands aiming at agroforestry fruit production and coppiced
stands for timber production and environmental protection, corresponding to 4590 ha and 5299 ha,
respectively. Fruit production was proposed to field slopes of 0–4% and 4–8%, and altitudes between
400 m and 500 m. Presumable high-quality sites allocated to temporary dry/irrigated cultivations
were also proposed for fruit production, in the same slope classes and altitudes higher than 500 m.
Timber production and environmental protection were proposed for slopes within 812% and
>12% ranges. This selection took into account the logistical feasibility facilitated in lower slopes for
intensive mechanized management operations. This methodology permits a future field evaluation
of site indexes, productivity, and correlations between environmental variables and stand biometry
Description
Keywords
chestnut geographic information systems fruit production timber and ecological protection undifferentiated soils physiographic profiling
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Rodrigues, A.; Gonçalves, A.B.; Costa, R.L.; Gomes, A.A. GISBased Assessment of the Chestnut Expansion Potential: A Case-Study on the Marvão Productive Area, Portugal. Agriculture 2021, 11, 1260
Publisher
MDPI