Juan Majada

• PHD
• Managing Director at Centro Tecnológico Forestal y de la Madera (Fundación Cetemas)

Pinus pinaster is a main species in Mediterranean forests, being naturally distributed through the Mediterranean basin, covering regions with a variety of geoclimatic conditions. This distribution in different environments leads, by natural selection, to a natural variation within the species that manifests at phenotypic level in populations with d...

Background Predicting the adaptability of forest tree populations under future climates requires a better knowledge of both the adaptive significance and evolvability of measurable key traits. Phenotypic plasticity, standing genetic variation and degree of phenotypic integration shape the actual and future population genetic structure, but empirica...

Seed sourcing strategies are the basis for identifying genetic material meeting the requirements of future climatic conditions and social demands. Specifically, local seed sourcing has been extensively promoted, based on the expected adaptation of the populations to local conditions, but there are some limitations for the application. We analyzed S...

En la actualidad la pérdida de productividad asociada a la falta de optimización de la gestión nutricional de las plantaciones de eucalipto, así como los problemas sanitarios, está afectando a la productividad potencial de eucalipto, cultivo generador de riqueza, así como de múltiples beneficios ambientales. Con el objetivo de mejorar la productivi...

El cultivo de Eucalyptus globulus presenta gran importancia en la península ibérica, produciendo 13 M m3 de madera anuales, fundamentalmente en regiones de influencia atlántica donde su alta productividad es generadora de economía y empleo. En la red experimental de ensayos “Eucalipto 2020” se evalúan en el norte de España diferentes genotipos de E...

Con el objetivo de optimizar la gestión nutricional de las plantaciones de eucalipto se ha llevado a cabo la instalación de una red de ensayos experimentales en el norte de España que combinan distintas estrategias y programas de fertilización. Estos ensayos se han diseñado teniendo en consideración las distintas tipologías de escenarios que nos po...

The Leaf Area Index (LAI) is a key parameter that helps to understand the connection between canopy structure and ecosystem functions. In this study, the main aims were to examine the impact of forest management on canopy structure using LiDAR data to characterize the canopy vertical profile, as well as to develop LAI models and an LAI mapping tool...

Tree morphological characteristics, particularly straightness and lean, significantly influence the value of the commercial products that can be obtained. Despite this, they are not usually evaluated in timber field inventories because traditional techniques are labor-intensive and largely subjective, hence the use of these parameters is limited to...

The advent of the next-generation genome sequencing technologies has allowed approaching the sequencing and analysis of large and complex conifer genomes. Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) is an economically and ecologically important conifer species widely distributed in South-West Europe, which shows a significant genetic and adaptive variabili...

A decade of genetic association studies in multiple organisms suggests that most complex traits are polygenic, i.e., they have a genetic architecture determined by numerous loci each with small effect-size. Thus, determining the degree of polygenicity and its variation across traits, environments and time is crucial to understand the genetic basis...

Although the straightening capacity of the stem is key for light capture and mechanical stability in forest trees, little is known about its adaptive implications. Assuming that stem straightening is costly, trade-offs are expected with competing processes such as growth, maintenance and defences. We established a manipulative experiment in a commo...

The parametrization of wood volume equations has traditionally been carried out with destructive samplings, which are highly resource-intensive. These equations must be specifically set up for each species and set of conditions, meaning that, in many cases, they are unfeasible or non-existent. Here, we present a nondestructive and fully automated m...

Woody biomass pellets' demand for primary energy production is increasing. To guarantee sustainable and cost-efficient pellet production, the diversification of biomass feedstock is mandatory. In this work, it is proposed to re-use the solid biochar obtained from pyrolysis of eucalyptus (PEc) at 700 °C as an additive to produce enhanced pine sawdus...

One important part of a forest stand that is impacted by forest management is the canopy structure. Canopy structure is closely related to ecosystem functions as it plays an important role in the relationships between structural complexity, biodiversity and stand productivity. The Leaf Area Index ( LAI ) is a key parameter that helps to understand...

Forest management treatments often translate into changes in forest structure. Understanding and assessing how forests react to these changes is key for forest managers to develop and follow sustainable practices. A strategy to remotely monitor the development of the canopy after thinning using satellite imagery time-series data is presented. The a...

Wood density is one of the most important physical properties of the wood, used in improvement programs for wood quality of major timber species. Traditional core sampling of standing trees has been widely used to assess wood density profiles at high spatial resolution by X-ray microdensitometry methods, but alternative methods to predict wood prop...

Key message Intra-annual wood density fluctuations are valuable indicators of the role of the local climate and provenance origins on tree growth. These intra-ring wood features were the most informative about local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of Pinus halepensis Mill. in a provenance trial. This highlights the importance of taking provena...

Phenols are bioactive substances of great interest because of their involvement in plant physiology, their use in many industrial processes, and their impact on human health. This work aims to summarize the varied approaches to the phenolic analysis of chestnut (bark and wood of trunk and branches, leaves, catkins, burs, and fruit) and to collate t...

Results from a decade of association studies in different organisms suggest that most complex traits are polygenic, that is, their genetic architectures are determined by numerous causal loci distributed across the genome each with small effect-size. Thus, determining the degree of polygenicity is a central goal to understand the genetic basis of p...

Sweet chestnut coppice (Castanea sativa Mill.) is a species of great importance in the northwest of Spain, due to its potential for producing valuable timber in relatively short rotations. However, abandonment has resulted in unstable and degraded stands. Thus, there is a need to improve forestry decision making tools. The objective of this study i...

Eucalyptus globulus plantations are one of the main sources of pulpwood in Southern Eu- rope. Spain and Portugal supply approximately 25 million m3 per year of eucalypt wood for the pulp and paper industry. In order to identify high productivity genotypes adapted to different environmental conditions, we established a program to evaluate new genoty...

Eucalyptus globulus plantations are threatened by a defoliator weevil, Gonipterus platensis, which is responsible for the loss of high volumes of timber, especially in Portugal and the north of Spain. Assessing defoliation levels is crucial for predicting wood loss and undertaking pest control and forest management decisions. Harnessing the advant...

Eucalyptus globulus is one of the most common sources of short fibres for the production of wood pulp. This species generates a significant amount of biomass residues, estimated for Spain and Portugal at 2.8 million tonnes/yr, in a total cultivated area of 1.4 million ha. Tree residues left on the forest floor increase the risk of forest fires, dis...

Wood density is one of the most important and well documented wood quality attributes. However, studies focusing on the effects of thinning combined with pruning on wood density in Mediterranean areas are scarce, even though both are recommended practices in forests managed for the production of high-quality timber. We assess the effects of both si...

To optimize biomass exploitation, it is essential to develop fully its use for energy purposes. This depends largely on availability and costs of acquiring the resource, as well as the profitability and reliability of the forest harvesting system. The production and extraction of forest biomass must be mechanized as much as possible, and in an effi...

Management of fuel to minimize crown fire hazard is a key challenge in Atlantic forests, particularly for pine species. However, a better understanding of effectiveness of silvicultural treatments, especially forest pruning, for hazard reduction is required. Here we evaluate pruning and thinning as two essential silvicultural treatments for timber...

El Centro Tecnológico Forestal y de la Madera (CETEMAS) de Asturias cuenta con una red de parcelas permanentes en ecosistemas forestales del noroeste de España, cuyo objetivo de investigación es desarrollar modelos de crecimiento y producción orientados a calidad de producto, incluyendo la optimización de costes de explotación y logística, así como...

En el presente estudio se ha llevado a cabo la cuantificación del carbono y nutrientes existentes en una red de ensayos permanentes de pino marítimo (Pinus pinaster Aiton) en el noroeste de España. Para ello, fueron realizados diversos inventarios dendrométricos y un muestreo destructivo de biomasa en un total de 28 árboles. Los datos de campo fuer...

1.INTRODUCCIÓN Las pistas forestales son infraestructuras esenciales para la gestión sostenible de montes puesto que posibilitan el acceso a las masas forestales para su aprovechamiento, conectan distintas áreas, sirven de acceso para la lucha contra incendios… Por ello, es imprescindible disponer de una cartografía actualizada de pistas, que permi...

The use of spores in applications of ectomycorrhizal fungi requires information regarding spore viability and germination, especially in genera such as Rhizopogon with high rates of spore dormancy. We developed a protocol to assess spore viability of Rhizopogon roseolus using four vital stains to quantify spore viability and germination and to opti...

The objective of this study was to establish a Geographical Information System (GIS) based methodology to analyze the viability and optimal location of a new hypothetical wood-fired power plant in a specific region. The available woodfuel of Eucalyptus globulus suitable for energy use was calculated based on a WISDOM database (Woodfuel Integrated S...

The use of renewable energy based on woody biomass has become increasingly important in European countries. Forest-fuel systems show great potential in this respect but they require study in order to find out and develop efficient forest operations from a technical, economic and environmental point of view. The development of systems with low net G...

Forestry residual biomass from pruning operations is an important, though little studied, potential resource. Residues normally remain in the stand, since tools for their accurate quantification do not exist and it has no particular end use. Traditional tree biomass estimation models consider the whole-tree, but estimating pruned biomass requires t...

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are very different chemical compounds that play essential roles in plant development and the regulation of physiological processes. They exert their functions by a mechanism called cross-talk (involving either synergistic or antagonistic actions) thus; it is for great interest to study as many PGRs as possible to obta...

Pruning is a key silvicultural intervention in order to obtain high quality wood products since it influences the size of the knotty core and the proportion of clear-wood. However, little is known about knotty core size and its distribution through the pruned stem in timber conifers. This paper describes methodologies to predict knotty core profile...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the growth regulator indole butyric acid (IBA) on the rooting of mini-cuttings of Castanea crenata x C. sativa hybrid clones. Minicuttings were left to root for 60 days in an acclimatized greenhouse and then transferred to a shade house for a further 30 days. The experiment was a random bloc...

The importance of chestnut coppice stands in northwestern Spain, together with the almost total lack of growth and yield studies, makes the development of applicable tools to facilitate forest management necessary. In the present study two management tools were developed: variable-density yield tables and stand density management diagrams (SDMDs)....

Forest fires are a major threat in NW Spain. The importance and frequency of these events in the area suggests the need for fuel management programs to reduce the spread and severity of forest fires. Thinning treatments can contribute for fire risk reduction, because they cut off the horizontal continuity of forest fuels. Besides, it is necessary t...

Natural variation of the metabolome of Pinus pinaster was studied to improve understanding of its role in the adaptation process and phenotypic diversity. The metabolomes of needles and the apical and basal section of buds were analyzed in ten provenances of P. pinaster, selected from France, Spain, and Morocco, grown in a common garden for five ye...

The feasibility of using plantation-grown biomass to fuel bioenergy plants is in part dependent on the ability to predict the capacity of surrounding forests to maintain a sustainable supply. In this study, the potential productivity of Eucalyptus nitens (Deane & Maiden) Maiden plantations grown for bioenergy in a region of North-west Spain was qua...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the productivity and costs of two Spanish forwarders, models Dingo AD-8468 and AD-2452, in the hauling of bundles of residues after Eucalyptus globulus clear cuts on steep terrain in Northern Spain. In addition, various models to predict time consumption for the main work elements and productivity were fi...

Heterozygosity–fitness correlations (HFCs) have been used to understand the complex interactions between inbreeding, genetic diversity and evolution. Although frequently reported for decades, evidence for HFCswas often based on underpowered studies or inappropriate methods, and hence their underlying mechanisms are still under debate. Here, we used...

La alta productividad del género Eucalyptus y su rápido crecimiento ha incrementado en los últimos años su interés para la producción de biomasa lignocelulósica mediante el uso de cultivos energéticos de turno corto. Sin embargo, el principal inconveniente que presenta este género es la susceptibilidad al frío de algunas de sus especies, lo que pla...

Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) grows in a range of different climates in the southwestern Mediterranean region and the existence of a variety of latitudinal ecotypes or provenances is well established. In this study, we have conducted a deep analysis of the transcriptome in needles from two P. pinaster provenances, Leiria (Portugal) and Tamra...

This study provides essential information related to the nutrient and carbon levels and the energy potential of Eucalytpus nitens (Deane & Maiden) Maiden bionenergy plantations located in northwestern Spain. Nutritional analysis showed that leaves and bark had the highest concentrations of N, P, K and Mg. Carbon concentration was constant for all a...

Over recent years there has been increasing interest in the harvesting of forest biomass destined for energy production. However, there are a number of limitations with respect to the efficiency and profitability of such exploitations and these have implications for the future development of the sector. One of the main challenges is the limited pro...

p> Aim of the study: The objective of this study was to evaluate recent technological improvements to forest bundlers: a new cutting device with shears and a mechanism which allows the bundling pressure to be changed by the driver. Area of study: eucalyptus plantations in Northern Spain. Material and Methods: Several time studies were performed i...

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Bioenergy plantations have been emerging around the world in the last decades. Accurate prediction of biomass feedstocks is necessary to optimise forest management for bioenergy production. Biomass increment estimations in plantations could be obtained from historical tree diameter reconstructions based on tree-ring records (Babst et al., 2014). Pr...

The knowledge of productive capacity and ecological behaviour of Castanea sativa Mill. coppice stands is the starting point in predicting forest growth and the subsequent management decision, especially in areas where timber production is the primary objective. The importance of chestnut coppice stands in northwest Spain joined with the practically...

Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) forests have been recognised as habitats of interest in the European Natura 2000 network, and are considered characteristics cultural landscapes of the Mediterranean and Atlantic region. The distribution in Europe reaches from the Southern Mediterranean to central, Atlantic, and Eastern Europe, covering more than 2....

A number of features of pine root infection by Fusarium circinatum have been reported in the literature, but the underlying pathogenic interaction is poorly understood. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged F. circinatum strain, together with confocal microscopy, was used in order to monitor the events associated with root infection of Pinus rad...

A dynamic model consisting of two projection functions, dominant height and basal area, was developed for the prediction of stand growth in Eucalyptus nitens bioenergy plantations aged 2–6 years and with stockings of 2,300 and 5,600 trees ha−1. The data came from 40 permanent sample plots, representing site quality variability across the distributi...

En gestion forestière, la prise en compte des risques dont les risques naturels est une nécessité pour le gestionnaire. Un risque se caractérise par trois facteurs : l’aléa, l’enjeu et la vulnérabilité qui constituent autant d’approches différentes pour la gestion du risque. Historiquement en restauration des terrains en montagne, c’est la réductio...

There is a concern on how emerging pests and diseases will affect the distribution range and adaptability of their host species, especially due to different conditions derived from climate change and growing globalization. Fusarium circinatum, which causes pitch canker disease in Pinus species, is an exotic pathogen of recent introduction in Spain...

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Aim of the study: The objective of this study was to evaluate skidding from stump area to roadside with a tracked skidder (Caterpillar 3DG XL) using two different types of cable (steel or synthetic). Area of study: NW of Spain. Material and methods: A time study was performed to calculate productivity for the two types of cable and two regression m...

La biomasa forestal es una energía renovable muy utilizada en varios países de la Unión Europea, pero en España aún no está muy implantada a pesar de existir una gran fuente de recursos para la producción de biomasa. Para conseguir una producción eficiente de biomasa, es fundamental conocer y optimizar la generación y distribución de los residuos f...

Context Despite the economic importance of Castanea sativa Mill. in North-West Spain, studies of its growth and yield are practically non-existent. Aims A compatible system formed by a taper function, a total volume equation and a merchantable volume equation was developed for chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) coppice stands in North-West Spain....

Phytohormones play a crucial role in plant development and control biotic and abiotic plant responses. While they are structurally diverse compounds, each one having characteristic biological effects, their action mechanisms are interconnected through cross-talk. Thus, monitoring the balance of several phytohormones in different plant developmental...

Pinus pinaster is a forestry species with great economic importance. In order to characterize different genotypes and provide insight into plastic responses, hormonal profile and ecophysiological parameters, clones from contrasting provenances were analyzed during two years of growth. Major changes in ecophysiological parameters were found between...

The overall objective of this study was to evaluate, through a theoretical model, the potential availability of biomass in a public forest and the viability of the forest as a supplier for a boiler located in a public building. For this, the stock of biomass was estimated using biomass equations. Then, the amount of biomass for each stand, in terms...

This study evaluates the productivity and cost of the JD 540 D skidder in skidding from roadside to landing (mean skidding distance, 850 m), in two clearcuts of chestnut coppice stands on steep terrain. A time study was conducted over 58 work cycles using the time study software UMT. Productivity was found to be 7.6 m 3 /SMH and 7.86 m 3 /PMH.and o...

Ecological behaviour and productive capacity of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) coppice stands are key factors in predicting forest growth and subsequent management decision, especially in areas where timber production is the primary objective. The effects of soil nutrients and environmental factors on site productivity in chestnut coppice stands...

Pruning allows knot-free timber to be obtained, thereby increasing the value of the highest-value wood products. However, the effect of pruning on growth is under discussion, and knowledge about the tree response to the simultaneous development of thinning and pruning is scarce. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of the interacti...

Pinus pinaster is one of the most important forestry species in Spain often used in reforestation programs due to its facility to adapt to different ecological conditions. Implementation of genetic programs aimed at selecting clones with improved production rates and abiotic and biotic resistances are desirable, given P. pinaster economic impor...

Changes in the plant metabolism are the key of plant developmental processes, underpinning many of the ways in which plants respond to the environment. The understanding of how much of the variation in the metabolome is influenced by inherent genetic factors and external environmental factors is a crucial area in metabolomics research application (...

Wood density and chemical components are some of the most important determinant of wood properties and therefore a critical factor in short rotation forestry (Wimmer et al. 2002). It is the strongest predictor for paper properties, biomass and mechanical strength of sawn timber. However, wood density can be changed by silvicultural practices, genet...

Eucalyptus nitens was introduced in Northwest of Spain in the 90’s for pulpwood production. Nowadays, with the interest in renewable energies, this species began to be used as an energy crop to produce biomass. Despite short rotation woody crops are very helpful to obtain biomass in a short-term, their cycles, although longer than agricultural crop...

La forêt, en plus de ses fonctions économiques reconnues par tous les acteurs du milieu rural tels que le développement de l'emploi rural et le marché local du bois pour la transformation ou pour l'énergie, rend de nombreux autres services. Cependant, de multiples risques sont identifiables et doivent être gérés dans et pourront éventuellement être...

Understanding the survival capacity of forest trees to periods of severe water stress could improve knowledge of the adaptive potential of different species under future climatic scenarios. In long lived organisms, like forest trees, the combination of induced osmotic stress treatments and field testing can elucidate the role of drought tolerance d...

Pine seedling shoots undergo sharp heteroblastic changes during early ontogenetic stages. The rate of these changes has been seen to vary between species and provenances within species, but there is a marked lack of information about its genetic control at lower hierarchical levels. We used clonal replicates of maritime pine to determine broad sens...