The Percy Stubbs and John Bolton King and Edward Garfitt Prize for Silviculture (Silvicultural Prize) is awarded annually for work published in the Institute of Chartered Foresters’ (ICF) prestigious journal Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research.
We are delighted to announce the 2025 Silvicultural Prize has been awarded to Gardenia Gonçalves de Oliveira for the paper ‘Optimizing forest residue management after harvesting: nutrient export scenarios in Eucalyptus plantations across high forest and coppice systems’, developed with Túlio Barroso Queiroz, Ana Paula Kupper, Liamara Masullo, Rodrigo Hakamada and Iraê Amaral Guerrini.
Gardenia is a Doctoral Candidate at UNESP – São Paulo State University. Upon receiving the award, Gardenia commented:
“We are honoured to receive the 2025 Silvicultural Prize for our paper and sincerely thank the reviewers for their constructive feedback. Our study evaluated biomass and nutrient exports in eucalyptus plantations managed under both seeding and coppice systems, showing how the removal of roots, stumps, and canopy can strongly affect nutrient cycling in the soil. We are thrilled that this partnership between researchers and industry is delivering real, actionable results for sustainable forest management. These findings provide practical guidance for balancing biomass use with long term soil health, reflecting the collaborative efforts of our co-authors, industry partners, research institute, and university.”
Dr Fabian Faßnacht, on behalf of the Forestry Editorial Team, commented:
“In an era where the demand for biomass for energy production is surging, the use of harvest residues from intensively managed eucalyptus plantations is garnering attention as an underutilised biomass source. Although economically appealing due to potential short-term additional incomes, the increased use of harvest residues poses risks of accelerating nutrient depletion in plantations, potentially leading to mid- to long-term adverse effects on soil health and productivity.
The study led by the early career researcher Gardenia Gonçalves de Oliveira delves into this issue with an innovative experimental setup. Nutrient contents were quantified in various components such as trunks, branches, leaves, and roots, and the impacts of different harvesting scenarios were compared. Immediate and long-term effects on nutrient balance were examined, considering the potential role of different fertilisation treatments. This research offers crucial insights that inform best practices for the sustainable utilisation of eucalyptus plantations in tropical regions. Ensuring the productivity of these plantations is vital to reduce the risk of converting additional native tropical forests to meet market demands for timber and biomass.”
ICF members benefit from a free subscription to Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research and can read the full paper online.
