**3.2 Plantation description**

In Chile, forest plantations are the main supply source of industrial raw material, with a total of near 40 million cubic meters. *Pinus radiata* D. Don is the main commercial species behind these massive commercial activities, with 80% of participation, followed by eucalyptus with 20% participation (CORMA, 2011). The plantations are concentrated in the central coastal area of Chile, between latitude 32 º S and 42 º S (Figure 2), covering a wide range of soils types (Schlatter, 1977; Schlatter and Gerding, 1984), environmental conditions (Fuenzalida, 1965; Madgwick, 1994) and silvicultural management regimes (Lewis and Ferguson, 1993; Lavery, 1986; Gerding, 1991). The land ownership structure is highly concentrated in two large forestry companies, which together owned 53% of the total planted area (CNE, GTZ / INFOR, 2008; Leyton, 2009), and the problem of quantifying wood supply has been primarily addressed by the private sector. Therefore, little public information exists on the area, location, age, species and management regime of plantations (CORMA, 2011). In contrast, the private sector has a large network of forest inventory information and has built growth simulators for the main species for different areas (i.e. *Radiata* and *Eucasim* models), types of site and management schemes and bucking (Fundación Chile, 2005; Morales et al., 1979). Some studies on the availability of wood for the forest industry (CORMA, 2011), carbon sequestration by plantations (Gilabert et al., 2010), AGB stocks for energy projects (INFOR, 2010, CNE / GTZ / INFOR, 2008) have been made by combining regional forest inventory data and these simulation models.


Table 2. Above ground biomass of different types of forest and locality.
