Site:AR33
REINFFORCE - Arboretum - Vila Real
Municipality: Trás os Montes e Alto Douro
Region: Norte
Country: Portugal
Website: http://www.isa.utl.pt/cef/ForEcoGen/3_proj_ong.html
Partner in charge of the site: ISA
Site characteristics
Altitude (m): 400
Topography: middle slope
Orientation: NW
Slope: 19.0
Hydrology: Site is situated in the Douro hydrographic basin. The lower part of site is 5-10 m apart from seasonal water course, which flows through parcel 1
South containment: 0
Soil type: LEPTOSOLS
Soil sub-type: cambic
Parent rock: acid to intermediate plutonic rocks
Soil depth (cm): 60
Climate
Average temperature (°C): 13.4
Average precipitation (mm): 1128
Number of frost days: 30
Reference period for climatic data: 1970-2000
History of the site
The arboretum site is located in Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) terrain, administrated by the University. , which showed great interest when presented with the possibility of installing the proposed structure. UTAD is engaged in forestry research and teaching, so this collaboration will guarantee that site management and monitoring tasks will be performed more proficiently. The arboretum is divided into 2 parcels, separated from each other by a 3m wide dirt road. The parcels are: -P1, 1,5 ha, previously occupied by Castanea sativa stand and pasture, with seasonal water line running through it ; -P2, 1 ha, previously occupied by Pinus pinaster stand. Soil preparation for arboreta installation was initiated in December 2011, consisting mainly in cutting the C. sativa and P. pinaster trees, and spontaneous vegetation removal/ control. Site was used for forest production and pasture. 
