The PINEA Project will use Pinus pinea data from several sources. It is essential to validate and organize this information to ensure the quality and easy use of data for further analyses. Pinus pinea databases to be developed will include not only the data to be collected from Task 2 to Task 4 but also from other existing Pinus pinea trials. These databases will be the support for the work to be carried out from Tasks 6 to 9.
As noted in relation to task 4, there is already a considerable amount of data from Pinus pinea Permanent Sample Plots. In addition there is data available from other research projects such as studies characterizing Pinus pinea aboveground biomass. There is study based on the felling of 40 Pinus pinea trees ranging from 10 to 63 years old, in 5 places. On these trees each aboveground biomass component – bark, stem, branches, needles and roots – and the carbon content was quantified. The nitrogen content of needles was measured. Basic wood density was assessed on samples taken every two meters up the felled trees. There is another study where 30 trees have been felled in three sites and all the aboveground biomass has been quantified and basic density determined.
Climate data will come from weather stations from the irrigation and fertilization trial and from the national grid of meteorological stations for the Permanent Sample plots and the remaining trials. Site and soils data will come from the previous Tasks. Following biometric, soils and climate data collection and gathering, the information will be validated. Data validation implies making graphics and tables to detect possible data collection errors or biological inconsistencies. Data organization in databases implies that all data available will be easy to use in further Tasks on data analyses. After the analyses work to be carried out in Task 6 to Task 8 is done, new data are likely to be produced that will be included in Pinus pinea databases.