Caracteres ecológicos y dendrométricos que influyen en la producción de resina en Pinus oocarpa de Michoacán, México

The State of Michoacan is the first producer of high quality resin in the country and Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl is one of its most important species for the quality and high rate of production. The objective of the present study was to analyze the dendrometric and productive characteristics in relation to climate and soil of 30 trees selected as superior in resin production under natural conditions in Michoacan, Mexico.The acrisol ocrico-luvisol and chromic luvisol soils are present in the study area, under two climates (A)C(w1)(w) and Aw0(w), with an average temperature of 18 °C - 22 °C, annual rainfall between 800 mm and 1200 mm and predominant relative humidity of 70% - 90%. The DBH (1.3 m) of the trees varied from 31.5 cm to 89.5 cm, the total height from 9.0 m to 27.5 m, crown diameter from 5.9 m to 14.35 m, with an average resin production in five months of 10.67 kg. The variables that contributed most to resin production were climate type, clean stem height and number of resin tapping faces. The soil showed a positive correlation with clean stem height (r = 0.39). The results suggest that the semi-warm subhumid climate, Chromic Luvisol type soils and temperature favor the production of resin in P. oocarpa , so they could be used as indicators in the search for trees and areas with good resin production by this species.