Estado comparativo de las masas de Pinus uncinata Ram. potencialmente protectoras frente a aludes de una zona de Andorra y Cataluña

A comparative study was carried out among stands of Pinus uncinata Ram. located, respectively, in La Massana (Andorra) and in the Catalonian Pyrenees, and give these sites an important role against snow avalanches. To check if there exist some differential attributes between Andorran and Catalonian sites, a dendrometric database was generated from sampling (Andorra) and from the information provided by the Third Forest National Inventory (Catalonian Pyrenees). As for their tendency towards uneven-aged stand structure, both geographical regions are quite similar. In fact, stand regeneration is not associated to other stocking variables, and stand stocking is not closely linked to the altitudinal gradient (which little affects mortality). However, Catalonian stands have shown less stocking and, in general, they offer worse characteristics for their protective role against avalanches compared with the Andorran stands.