Analyses of a Forest Drainage Experiment in Northern Ontario. I: Growth Analysis

1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bijan Payandeh
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Growth Analysis ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Forest Drainage

This paper presents a growth analysis of a forest drainage experiment carried out over 40 years in northern Ontario. It is based on remeasurement data obtained in 1969 from 38 growth plots established following drainage in 1929 and from increment cores and sectioned trees.Results indicate that both annual tree diameter and height growth increased significantly after draining; that tree growth before draining was related to site quality only, while after draining it was related also to tree vigor and distance of water flow from the nearest ditch; that both stand diameter and height growth were related to site index, stand age, and initial stocking; and that stand basal area and volume growth were, in addition, related to a product sine function of distance of water flow from the ditch, peat moisture, decomposition, and depth.Both individual tree and stand growth responded well to draining, with younger and more vigorous trees that were growing on better-quality sites showing the greatest response. For a given site, growth response was not greatest for trees and stands nearest the ditch, but for those some distance away.

scholarly journals Generalized Nonlinear Mixed-Effects Individual Tree Diameter Increment Models for Beech Forests in Slovakia

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram P. Sharma ◽  
Igor Štefančík ◽  
Zdeněk Vacek ◽  
Stanislav Vacek
Keyword(s):  
Basal Area ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Development Stage ◽  
Mixed Effects ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Sample Plot ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Diameter Increment

Individual tree growth and yield models precisely describe tree growth irrespective of stand complexity and are capable of simulating various silvicultural alternatives in the stands with diverse structure, species composition, and management history. We developed both age dependent and age independent diameter increment models using long-term research sample plot data collected from both monospecific and mixed stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in the Slovak Republic. We used diameter at breast height (DBH) as a main predictor and other characteristics describing site quality (site index), stand development stage (dominant height and stand age), stand density or competition (ratio of individual tree DBH to quadratic mean diameter), species mixture (basal area proportion of a species of interest), and dummy variable describing stand management regimes as covariate predictors to develop the models. We evaluated eight versatile growth functions in the first stage using DBH as a single predictor and selected the most suitable one, i.e., Chapman-Richards function for further analysis through the inclusion of covariate predictors. We introduced the random components describing sample plot-level random effects and stochastic variations on the diameter increment, into the models through the mixed-effects modelling. The autocorrelation caused by hierarchical data-structure, which is assumed to be partially reduced by mixed-effects modelling, was removed through the inclusion of the parameter accounting for the autoregressive error-structures. The models described about two-third parts of a total variation in the diameter increment without significant trends in the residuals. Compared to the age independent mixed-effects model (conditional coefficient of determination, R c 2 = 0.6566; root mean square error, RMSE = 0.1196), the age dependent model described a significantly larger proportion of the variations in diameter increment ( R c 2 = 0.6796, RMSE = 0.1141). Diameter increment was significantly influenced differently by covariate predictors included into the models. Diameter increment decreased with the advancement of stand development stage (increased dominant height and stand age), increasing intraspecific competition (increased basal area proportion of European beech per sample plot), and diameter increment increased with increasing site quality (increased site index) and decreased competition (increased ratio of DBH to quadratic mean diameter). Our mixed-effects models, which can be easily localized with the random effects estimated from prior measurement of diameter increments of four randomly selected trees per sample plot, will provide high prediction accuracies. Our models may be used for simulating growth of European beech irrespective of its stand structural complexity, as these models have included various covariate variables describing both tree-and stand-level characteristics, thinning regimes, except the climate characteristics. Together with other forest models, our models will be used as inputs to the growth simulator to be developed in the future, which is important for decision-making in forestry.

scholarly journals Growth of Young Douglas-Fir Plantations Across a Gradient in Swiss Needle Cast Severity

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Maguire ◽  
Alan Kanaskie ◽  
William Voelker ◽  
Randy Johnson ◽  
Greg Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Needle Cast ◽  
Basal Area Growth ◽  
Area Growth ◽  
Swiss Needle Cast

Abstract During the past decade, Swiss needle cast (SNC) damage has intensified in many Douglas-fir plantations in the Coast Range of Oregon, particularly along the immediate north coast. In plantations with severe symptoms, growth losses and reduced tree vigor are evident, but the magnitude of growth losses associated with varying intensities of damage is not known. A growth impact study was conducted in 1997 to quantify retrospectively the relationship between growth losses and visual symptoms in 10- to 30-yr-old Douglas-fir plantations in coastal northwestern Oregon, a population totaling 75,700 ha. A random sample of 70 Douglas-fir plantations was selected from the population and evaluated for Swiss needle cast severity. One 0.02 ha plot was destructively sampled in each plantation to reconstruct past height and basal area growth trends and to characterize foliage loss and distribution. The SNC “effect” was assessed by comparing growth of plantations with varying degrees of Swiss needle cast to growth of those that retained maximal amounts of foliage, after correcting for initial stand density, Douglas-fir growing stock, age, and site index. Of numerous possible SNC indices, mean needle retention (yr) explained the largest amount of variation in both basal area and top height growth. Prior to 1990, top height growth was similar across all plantations after correcting for site quality and plantation age; but, by 1992, top height growth losses appeared and were proportional to apparent foliage losses. In 1996, top height growth was reduced by up to 25% relative to plantations with little or no SNC. Basal area growth reductions began to appear around 1990, and in 1996 basal area growth of the most heavily damaged plantations was 35% less than the growth that would be expected in absence of SNC damage. The inferred volume growth loss for 1996 averaged 23% for the 75,700 ha target population, but this loss averaged as high as 52% for the most severely impacted plantations. West. J. Appl. For. 17(2):86ߝ95.

Effects of fertilization and thinning on 8-year growth responses of second-growth Douglas-fir stands

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 516-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Stegemoeller ◽  
H. N. Chappell
Keyword(s):  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Positive Interaction ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Growing Stock ◽  
Area And Volume

Fertilization of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stands generally increased both basal area and volume growth for at least 8 years. Thinning tended to have an even greater effect than fertilization on basal area and volume growth, increasing both on an individual-tree basis. On a land-area basis, however, the removal of growing stock by thinning caused volume growth to be less than that of the control. The magnitude and duration of this negative response was dependent on the level of thinning and the site quality. A significant positive interaction between fertilization and thinning exists. The combined treatment resulted in the greatest absolute basal area and volume increments, and the response became greater than that to fertilizer alone in the 3rd and 4th years, and remained so through at least 8 years.

Effects of Crown Thinning on Baldcypress Height, Diameter, and Volume Growth

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 252-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen G. Dicke ◽  
John R. Toliver
Keyword(s):  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Taxodium Distichum ◽  
Volume Increment ◽  
Crown Thinning ◽  
Epicormic Branching

Abstract Crown thinning a 63-year-old stand of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum [L.] Rich.) averaging 220 ft²/ac of basal area to 180, 140, and 100 ft²/ac resulted in 5-year diameter growths of 0.44, 0.51, and 0.77 in., respectively. The unthinned control was significantly less at 0.31 in. Six-year height growth averaged 3.1 ft and was not influenced by treatment. Thinning to 140 and 100 ft²/ac stimulated epicormic branching on many trees, which may lower log quality. All crown thinning treatments appeared to increase sawtimber volume increment and sawtimber volume/ac over the control 5 years after thinning. South. J. Appl. For. 12(4):252-256.

Individual-tree basal area growth models for jack pine and black spruce in northern Ontario

2004 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lianjun Zhang ◽  
Changhui Peng ◽  
Qinglai Dang
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Basal Area Growth ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Area Growth

Individual-tree models of five-year basal area growth were developed for jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) in northern Ontario. Tree growth data were collected from long-term permanent plots of pure and mixed stands of the two species. The models were fitted using mixed model methods due to correlated remeasurements of tree growth over time. Since the data covered a wide range of stand ages, stand conditions and tree sizes, serious heterogeneous variances existed in the data. Therefore, the coefficients of the final models were obtained using weighted regression techniques. The models for the two species were evaluated across 4-cm diameter classes using independent data. The results indicated (1) the models of jack pine and black spruce produced similar prediction errors and biases for intermediate-sized trees (12–28 cm in tree diameter), (2) both models yielded relatively large errors and biases for larger trees (> 28 cm) than those for smaller trees, and (3) the jack pine model produced much larger errors and biases for small-sized trees (< 12 cm) than did the black spruce model. Key words: mixed models, repeated measures, model validation

Polymorphic site index curves for jack pine in Northern Ontario

2001 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willard H. Carmean ◽  
G. Hazenberg ◽  
G. P. Niznowski
Keyword(s):  
Analysis Data ◽  
Site Index ◽  
The United States ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
The North

Stem-analysis data from dominant and codominant trees were collected from 383 plots located in fully stocked, even-aged, undisturbed mature jack pine stands. Separate site index curves were independently formulated for four regions of northern Ontario using the Newnham constrained nonlinear regression model; these formulations were used for comparing regional site index curves at three levels of site index (10 m, 15 m and 20 m).Comparisons showed that no significant differences existed between the four regional curves as well as with previously published site index curves for the North Central Region. Each of the four regions had similar polymorphic height-growth patterns; therefore, data for the four regions were combined and a single formulation was used to develop a polymorphic set of site index curves for all of northern Ontario. We found that poor sites in each region had almost linear height growth up to 100 years breast-height age, but for each region height growth became more curvilinear with increasing site index. The recommended site index curves for northern Ontario are based on a formulation using only data from plots 100 years and less but this formulation was not significantly different from a formulation using only data from plots 80 years and less, or a formulation that included all data from plots older than 100 years breast-height age.Comparisons were made between our northern Ontario curves and other jack pine site index curves for Ontario as well as curves for other areas of Canada and the United States. These comparisons generally showed considerable older age differences. Reasons for these differences are uncertain but could be due to differences in the amount and kind of data used for these other curves, could be due to differences in analytical methods, or could be due to regional differences in climate, soil and topography. Key words: site quality evaluation, polymorphic height growth, regional site index curves, site index prediction equations, comparisons among site index curves.

Different nitrogen sources for fertilizing western hemlock in western Washington

1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Radwan ◽  
D. S. DeBell ◽  
S. R. Webster ◽  
S. P. Gessel
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Total N ◽  
Area Growth ◽  
Western Washington

Effects of different sources of fertilizer N on selected chemical characteristics of soils and foliage, and on growth of western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) were compared at three different sites in western Washington. Treatments were the following: untreated control (O), ammonium nitrate (AN), ammonium sulfate (AS), calcium nitrate (CN), urea (U), and urea – ammonium sulfate (US). Fertilizers were applied in the spring (April–May) at 224 kg N/ha. Forest floor and mineral soil, to a depth of 5 cm, and foliage were sampled periodically for 2 years. Height and diameter of selected trees were measured periodically for 4 years. Results are reported mostly for two sites, one in the Cascade Range and one in the coastal zone in western Washington. The pH of forest floor and mineral soil varied by treatment, and the two urea fertilizers caused substantial initial rise. Effects on soil and foliar nutrients varied by fertilizer, sampling date, and location. In general, all fertilizers increased NH4 N, N03 N, and total N in the forest floor and mineral soil, and total N in the foliage. Also, with some exceptions, especially with foliar P in the Cascade site, fertilization reduced foliar content of important nutrients. At the Cascade site, 4-year growth responses in height, basal area, and volume averaged over all fertilizers were 30, 34, and 32%, respectively. AN, AS, CN, and urea resulted in height growth significantly (P < 0.20) higher than that of the control. Significant basal area growth and volume-growth responses were produced by AN, CN, and US. No significant height-growth response to any fertilizer occurred in the coastal stand; basal area growth and volume-growth responses averaged 27 and 21%, respectively, and best response occurred with urea. These results suggest that the low and inconsistent response of hemlock to N fertilization cannot be improved by applying some N fertilizer other than urea. Factors limiting response to N fertilization may be associated with availability of native N and other nutrients or other characteristics of hemlock sites and stands.

scholarly journals Stand growth model using volume increment/basal area ratios

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 102-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Martínez Pastur G ◽  
M. Cellini J ◽  
V. Lencinas M ◽  
L. Peri P
Keyword(s):  
Simple Model ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Full Density ◽  
Nothofagus Pumilio ◽  
Stand Growth ◽  
Mean Error ◽  
Volume Increment

Estimation of stand growth is crucial for forest planning. Estimations were usually done using fixed values, and recently growth equations have been used. An alternative is through stand growth models. The objective was to develop a simple model for<I> Nothofagus pumilio</I> stands with full density along site quality and age gradients. The sample was obtained from 125 stands. Data on forest structure and samples for tree-ring measurement were taken in all trees to estimate growths using biometric models previously developed. The growth values of each plot during the last twenty years were calculated to fit the model, using the ratio of total volume increment/basal area as an independent variable. The developed model gives a ratio between stand volume increment and basal area (m/year) in relation to the site quality and stand age. The statistics (<I>r</I><sup>2</sup> = 0.819, mean error = 0.019, absolute mean error = 0.033), residual analysis and biological performance were satisfactory. The obtained stand growths varied between 1 and 20 m<sup>3</sup>/ha/year. This simple model allowed to estimate growth values at a stand level from easy field measurements from forest inventories.

Testing the Lake States variant of FVS (Forest Vegetation Simulator) for the main forest types of northern Ontario

2004 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Lacerte ◽  
G R Larocque ◽  
M. Woods ◽  
W J Parton ◽  
M. Penner
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Forest Vegetation Simulator ◽  
Consistency Analysis ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Stand Basal Area

The Lake States variant of the FVS (Forest Vegetation Simulator) model (LS-FVS), also known as the LS-TWIGS variant of FVS, was validated for black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forests in northern Ontario. Individual-tree data from 537 remeasured sample plots were used. This dataset included different combinations of site index, stand density and age. It was possible to compare observations and predictions for different projection length periods. The validation exercise included a biological consistency analysis, the computation of mean percent difference (MPD) for stand density, stand basal area, top height and quadratic mean diameter (QMD) and the comparison of observed and predicted individual-tree dbh. The biological consistency analysis indicated that LS-FVS logically predicted the effect of site index on top height, stand basal area and QMD for black spruce and jack pine. However, the decrease in stand basal area at young ages was inconsistent with the normal development pattern of the forest stands under study and was attributed to deficiencies in the prediction of mortality. LS-FVS was found to underpredict stand density, stand basal area and top height and to over-predict QMD. Even though there were large errors in the prediction of change in stand density, LS-FVS was nevertheless consistent in the prediction of the shape of the dbh size distribution. Key words: FVS, Forest Vegetation Simulator, validation, biological consistency analysis

Hybrid Aspen Performance and Genetic Gains

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bailian Li ◽  
Gary W. Wyckoff ◽  
Dean W. Einspahr
Keyword(s):  
Wood Quality ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Hybrid Breeding ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Pure Species ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Genetic Gains ◽  
Hybrid Superiority

Abstract The aspen hybrid breeding program has been active in the Lake States since 1955. This study summarizes long-term performance of aspen hybrids in six locations in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Interspecific hybrids of native bigtooth aspen and quaking aspen with other poplar species show improved growth when compared with native aspen species across a range of site quality. Quaking aspen hybrids with Populus tremula (XT-Ta) were the most promising based on growth, wood quality, and disease susceptibility. Individual tree volume growth for the XT-Ta hybrids was more than double that of progeny of pure quaking aspen parents (XT). Other aspen hybrids with P. davidiana, P. alba, and P. canescens parentage exhibited special growth potential on relatively poor and dry-sites, but were susceptible to a bronze leaf disease. Hybridization was more effective in improving aspen growth than breeding within pure species. Hybrid superiority was consistent across a range of site indexes, and showed the greatest potential on high-quality sites. Genetic gains for the XT-Ta hybrids, based on 15-yr height measurements, ranged from 29 to 34% across sites. Gain in volume growth is expected to be over 100%. Short-rotation (20-yr) commercial plantings with aspen hybrids are recommended on low-to medium quality northern hardwood sites. North. J. Appl. For. 10(3): 117-122.

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