Suber Stand Level Simulator

SUBER simulator integrates SUBER growth model specifically developed for cork oak species in Portugal. A description of the tool as well as a users’ manual can be found in Paulo (2011). This simulator can be used for:

• Characterizing properties
• Defining management units
• Simulating the development of a stand under diferent management approaches
• Simulating cork production
• Preparing management plans
• Research purposes

 The inputs required to run SUBER are:

• Tree level inputs and cork information
• Climatic variables from the closest meteorological station
• Management prescription
• Economic data

SUBER is suited to simulate the evolution of a stand using inventory data. The simulator estimates the evolution of each stand in the input with an annual time-step producing average output for all the stands. If preferred the trees in all stands can be considered as part of a big stand (area equal to the sum of the individual stands).

Simulation results are presented for each year of simulation in text files containing tree, plot or stand information. SUBER in sIMfLOR Desktop can be downloaded at Downloads after registration and login.

Additionally a web tool to assist managers deciding whether to debark, WebCorky, was developed. WebCorky predicts the growth of cork for a set of cork samples of known caliber, which is classified according to the industrial norms. When no analysis to cork quality has been made, this web tool provides an empirical classification (editable by the user) that allows to estimate an average cork value over time based on a table of prices (caliber versus quality) also user-editable.

References:

Paulo JA, 2011. Desenvolvimento de um sistema para apoio à gestão sustentável de montados de sobro. Tese apresentada para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Engenharia Florestal e dos Recursos Naturais. Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa, Portugal, 188 pp. (Cap3) http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/3850

Paulo, J. A., Tomé, J. and Tomé, M., 2011. Nonlinear fixed and random generalized height-diameter models for Portuguese cork oak stands. Annals of Forest Science 68(2): 295-309. DOI: 10.1007/s13595-011-0041-y.

Almeida, A. Tomé, J., Tomé, M., 2010. Development of a system to predict the evolution of individual tree mature cork caliber over time. Forest Ecology and Management 260(8): 1303-1314.

Paulo, J. A., Tomé, M., 2010. Predicting mature cork biomass with t years of growth based in one measurement taken at any other age. Forest Ecology and Management 259: 1993-2005. DOI:10.1016/j.foreco.2010.02.010.

Tomé, J., Tomé, M., Barreiro, S., Paulo, J. A., 2006. Age-independent difference equations for modelling tree and stand growth. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36: 1621-1630.