Silvicultural treatments are often needed in selectively logged tropical forest to enhance the growth rates
of many commercial tree species and, consequently, for recovering a larger proportion of the initial
volume harvested over the next cutting cycle. The available data in the literature suggest, however, that
the effect of silvicultural treatments on tree growth is smaller in dry forests than in humid forest tree
species. In this study, we analyze the effect of logging and application of additional silvicultural
treatments (liana cutting and girdling of competing trees) on the growth rates of future crop trees (FCTs;
i.e., trees of current and potentially commercial timber species with adequate form and apparent growth
potential). The study was carried out in a tropical dry forest in Bolivia where a set of 21.25-ha plots were
monitored for 4 years post-logging. Plots received one of four treatments that varied in intensity of both
logging and silvicultural treatments as follows: normal (reduced-impact) logging; normal logging and
low-intensity silviculture; increased logging intensity and high-intensity silviculture; and, unlogged
controls. The silvicultural treatments applied to FCTs involved liberation from lianas and overtopping
trees. Results showed that rates of FCT stem diameter growth increased with light availability, logging
intensity, and intensity of silvicultural treatments, and decrease with liana infestation degree. Growth
rate increment was larger in the light and intensive silvicultural treatment (22–27%). Long-lived pioneer
species showed the strongest response to intensive silviculture (50% increase) followed by total shadetolerant
species (24%) and partial shade-tolerant species (10%). While reduced-impact logging is often
not sufficient to guarantee the sustainability of timber yields, application of silvicultural treatments that
substantially enhanced the growth rates of FCTs will help move the management of these forests closer to
the goal of sustained yield.