Displaying 1 - 6 of 6

Promotion of cork oak recruitment in the Mediterranean

Submitted by mcssilva on 27 March 2020
Cork oak regeneration assessment

Environmental conditions have a great effect on regeneration, especially in arid or semi-arid ecosystems, such as the Mediterranean basin. In these systems the plants suffer a high water stress during the summer, due to the reduced availability in water and the high temperatures, which are limiting for the survival of the natural regeneration. Knowing the factors that influence the success of regeneration and what techniques currently exist to enhance its occurrence, are tools to support the management of the cork oak forests, ensuring the long-term sustainability.

Intraspecific variability of Quercus suber L. acorn morphology in Northwestern Tunisia

Submitted by ibtissem taghouti on 28 November 2019
cork oak acorns

The cork oak forest suffers from serious problems of natural regeneration following anthropic action and overgrazing. As a result, we are witnessing continuous aging and disappearance of the oak grove. The object of the investigation is to study the variation of the size of the acorns of Quercus suber collected from different sites according to an altitudinal gradient in Kroumirie (North-West of Tunisia) in order to make the right choice of acorns for a plantation successful and adapted from cork oak.

The influence of formation pruning in the cork tree growth rate: a case study.

Submitted by joanaap on 13 July 2020
Pruned cork oak trees

The formation pruning is an operation usually defined in forest management plans established for cork oak stands plantations. It aims at removing tree branches, usually the lower ones, therefore promoting the development of a long-straight stem, at least up to the expected future debarking height. This will later on facilitate cork harvesting operations.

It is unclear if the pruning intensity affects the tree growth. This factsheet shows the results of a case study where tree growth was compared between trees not pruned, and trees subject to two pruning intensities.

Is the plasticity in response to the drought of Quercus suber linked to the geographical origin?

Submitted by ibtissem taghouti on 20 December 2019
Seedlings of provenances of Cork Oak

The selection of forest species and the study of their behavior variability relative to the main environmental conditions change remains a major challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate the intraspecific variability responses of Quercus suber L. to drought conditions in order to determine the future sustainability of cork oak forest in Tunisia.

New business models for innovating the cork sector and contrasting cork oak woodland abandonment

Submitted by Sara Maltoni on 30 January 2020
Abandoned cork oak stands

This example show cases the possibility that some private companies, interested in processing cork, wood chips and wood, take-up forest management on behalf of private or public forest owners in a new private-private or private-public business model. This ensures the conservation of largely abandoned cork oak woodlands. The agreement foresees the possibility for the processing industry to ensure the mid and long-term supply of cork.

The cork humidity parameter in the commercialization

Submitted by mcssilva on 31 March 2020
Pilled cork after debarking

The humidity of cork has always been a parameter considered in its commercialization, and is usually expressed as a percentage discount on the total cork quantity. Percentual moisture discounts are usually incorrectly applied, as they are applied directly to the quantity of cork. The same discount applied to cork with different moisture's content can translate into discounts in quantity of cork and not water.

This factsheet intents to inform the cork producers for the relevance of cork sampling for moisture content determination in order to establish the humidity discount in the...