Crown efficiency in a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) spacing experiment

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 1344-1351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hubert Sterba ◽  
Ralph L Amateis

Crown efficiency was first defined by Assmann (1961. Waldertragskunde. BLV, München) as individual tree volume increment per unit of crown projection area. He hypothesized that within a given crown class, smaller crowns are more efficient because their ratio between crown surface and horizontal crown projection is higher. Data from a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) spacing experiment were used to test if this hypothesis also holds in young loblolly pine stands and, if so, to determine if it explains the increment differences between spacings in the spacing experiment. Using individual tree height relative to plot dominant height to describe crown class, within-plot regression showed that crown efficiency decreased with crown size for trees below dominant height. This relationship was much less pronounced than indicated from Assmann's examples, although the crown surface to crown projection ratio behaved in the same way as Assmann had hypothesized. Crown efficiency as well as the crown surface to crown projection area ratio decreased with increasing density. Basal area increment per hectare increased until total crown closure approached 130% and then stayed constant. This major impact of total crown coverage brings into question the usefullness of crown efficiency as an indicator for unit area growth.

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald H. Marx ◽  
Charles E. Cordell ◽  
Alexander Clark

Abstract Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L) seedlings with different initial amounts of Pisolithus tinctorius (Pt) ectomycorrhizae (Pt index 0, 27, 46, 68, or 88) were planted on a good-quality site (site index 90 ft at age 50) in southwest Georgia. After 8 years and crown closure, trees with Pt indices of 88 and 68 had significantly better survival and greater heights, diameters, volumes, and green weights per tree and per ac than nursery-run, control seedlings (Pt index 0). Volume and weight yields per ac were over 50% greater and volume and weight yields per tree were over 20% greater for trees in the Pt index 88 treatment than they were for control trees. A special statistical analysis indicated that average per ac volume was positively correlated with initial Pt index values larger than 58. Tree-ring analyses showed that trees with a Pt index of 88 had significantly greater annual basal area growth than controls during growing seasons with water deficits of 8 to 13 in. Annual growth did not differ when water deficits were greater or less than these amounts. After 8 years, Pt basidiocarps were present throughout the study site. Mycorrhizal treatment integrity may have been lost after 3 or 4 years. South. J. Appl. For. 12(4):275-280


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 623-633
Author(s):  
Y H Weng ◽  
J Grogan ◽  
D W Coble

Abstract Growth response to thinning has long been a research topic of interest in forest science. This study presents the first 3–4 years of response of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) growth to thinning at different intensities. Data were collected from the East Texas Pine Research Project’s region-wide loblolly pine thinning study, which covers a wide variety of stand conditions. Four treatments, light, moderate, and heavy thinning, respectively having 370, 555, and 740 residual trees per hectare after thinning, and an unthinned control, were included. Individual tree diameter at breast height (dbh) and total height were recorded annually for the first 3–4 years after thinning. Results indicate significant differences between treatments in dbh growth in each year after thinning, as well as for all years combined. Each thinning treatment had significantly greater dbh growth than the control in the first growing season with this positive response being more evident in the case of the heavier thinning or at the later years post-thinning. Conversely, the thinning effect on tree height growth was initially negligibly negative, then becoming positive after 2–4 years, with the heavier thinning becoming positive sooner. Tree size class, assigned based on prethinning dbh, had a significant effect on both dbh and height growth responses. Compared to the control, small trees had a greater response both in dbh and in height growth than the medium and large trees over the measurement period. At the stand level, the heavier thinning had significantly less stand basal area per hectare, but the difference in stand basal area per hectare between the thinned and the unthinned plots decreased with years post-thinning. Results from this study can improve our understanding in thinning effects and help forest managers make accurate decisions on silvicultural regimes.


1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 942-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip J Radtke ◽  
Harold E Burkhart

Ignoring the effects of off-plot trees on variables measured within a plot boundary may result in the under estimation problem known as edge bias. A number of edge bias compensation techniques have been proposed in the literature. Four of these were compared with the alternative of ignoring off-plot trees to determine their relative adequacy in modeling crown closure from individual tree crown measurements. Data from a spacing trial of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were used to make the comparisons. By shrinking the effective size of experimental plots, measurements of "off-plot" data were made available to compare with the results of edge-bias compensation models. Three edge-bias compensation algorithms were found to perform equivalently well: translation; reflection via a reflecting line through the edge trees; and a random arrangement of interior trees around the plot. The ability of the models to compensate for edge bias declined with stand age. Furthermore,the variability of compensation values increased with age and as plot size was reduced.


1991 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-27
Author(s):  
Terry R. Clason

Abstract A hardwood suppression treatment applied to a 7-year-old, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation enhanced projected productivity through a 35-year rotation that included three commercial thinnings. By age 22, growth data showed that hardwood removal treatments had larger pines and smaller hardwoods than check treatments. Fifteen-year pine basal area and merchantable volume growth on hardwood removal plots exceeded the check plots by 25 and 27%. Projected growth between ages 22 and 35 indicated that 28 years after early hardwood removal thinned plantation merchantable volume yields improved by 840 ft³ per acre. South. J. Appl. For. 15(1):22-27.


1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Blinn ◽  
Al Lyons ◽  
Edward R. Buckner

Abstract Color aerial photography was used to assess crown color classes in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. Three distinct Munsell color classes were delineated on the resulting photographs. Foliar N levels and, to a lesser degree, foliar K levels were directly related to color. Significant relationships between color and site index and color and basal area were shown. Application of color aerial photography, combined with Munsell color coding, could expedite land classification and also make possible more efficient use of fertilizers. South J. Appl. For. 12(4):270-273.


1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven A. Knowe

Abstract Prediction equations were developed for basal area and percentiles of diameter distributions to account for the hardwood component in site-prepared, Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. Unlike existing stand-level simulation models that incorporate hardwood competition, the new equations resulted in constant total basal area regardless of the amount of hardwood competition and permitted the variance of the diameter distribution to increase with increasing proportion of hardwoods. The equations presented can be used with existing dominant height, survival, and volume equations as a tool for assessing the impact of hardwoods on loblolly pine yield. South. J. Appl. For. 16(2):93-98.


1983 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Murphy ◽  
Robert M. Farrar

Abstract Equations are given to estimate current and projected sawtimber volumes and projected basal area of the sawtimber portion of uneven-aged loblolly-shortleaf (Pinus taeda L.-Pinus echinata Mill.) pine stands managed under the selection system. The independent variables are elapsed time, initial merchantable basal area, and the initial ratio of sawtimber basal area to merchantable basal area. The results should provide guidelines for the board-foot and cubic-foot production of sawtimber-sized trees in uneven-aged stands that occur on average sites (site index 90, loblolly pine) in the Coastal Plain.


FLORESTA ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saulo Jorge Téo ◽  
Diego Ricardo Bressan ◽  
Reinaldo Hoinacki da Costa

Este trabalho teve como objetivo testar diferentes modelos estatísticos para ajuste de curvas de índice de sítio e verificar se as curvas anamórficas geradas foram satisfatórias para classificação de sítios em povoamentos de Pinus taeda L. na região de Caçador, SC. Os dados de altura dominante (hdom) utilizados nesta pesquisa foram obtidos de parcelas permanentes de área fixa e formato retangular, com áreas de 500 e 625 m². As parcelas foram distribuídas de forma aleatória nos povoamentos, a fim de abranger a maior variabilidade possível de produtividade. A seleção do melhor modelo estatístico ajustado foi feita por meio das seguintes estatísticas de ajuste e precisão: coeficiente de determinação ajustado (R²aj), erro padrão da estimativa (Syx), erro padrão da estimativa em porcentagem (Syx%) e distribuição de resíduos em porcentagem. O modelo monomolecular apresentou os melhores resultados para os critérios de seleção, portanto foi escolhido para a construção das curvas de índice de sítio pelo método da curva guia. Depois de se proceder à classificação de sítios, foram realizados testes de anamorfismo, os quais indicaram o padrão anamórfico das curvas geradas pelo modelo estatístico ajustado para classificação de sítios dos povoamentos de Pinus taeda na região de Caçador, SC.Palavras-chave:  Modelos estatísticos; teste de anamorfismo; curvas de índice de sítio; altura dominante. AbstractUse of statistical modells for site classification of Pinus taeda plantation in the region of Caçador, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. This study aimed to test different statistical models for fitting site index curves and check if the anamorphic curves generated were satisfactory to classify the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in the region of Caçador, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The data of dominant height (hdom) used in this study were obtained from permanent plots of fixed area and rectangular shape, with areas of 500 and 625 square meters. The plots were distributed randomly in the stands to cover the largest possible variability of productivity. The selection of the best equation was made by the following fitting and precision statistics: adjusted coefficient of determination (R²aj), standard error of estimation (Syx), standard error of estimate in percentage (Syx%) and graphical distribution of the residuals in percentage. The monomolecular model showed the best performance, so it was chosen for the construction of the site index curves by guide curve method. After construction of the site index curves, the stability of the curves was also tested, which indicated the anamorphic pattern of the curves generated by the equation for site classification of loblolly pine plantations in the region of Caçador, Santa Catarina State, Brazil.Keywords:  Statistical models; test of anamorphism; site index curves; dominant height.


2000 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph L. Amateis ◽  
Jiping Liu ◽  
Mark J. Ducey ◽  
H. Lee Allen

Abstract Data from a fertilizer response study in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations at different sites in the southeastern United States were used to develop response models for dominant height and basal area following midrotation nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization. Nonlinear regression models developed from the data predict total cumulative response as a function of the interaction of N and P application rates, drainage class of the site, stand conditions when fertilized, and time since fertilization. Stand variables that were found to be significant predictors of response included site index, age, basal area, number of surviving trees, and dominant height at fertilization. Dominant height response was significantly greater on poorly drained sites than on other sites. Basal area response to P was significantly less on poorly drained sites and significantly greater on well drained sites. These models can be coupled with unfertilized baseline models to estimate volume response to midrotation fertilization. South. J. Appl. For. 24(4):207-212.


1994 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 128-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Murphy ◽  
Michael G. Shelton

Abstract The effects of three levels of residual basal area (40, 60, and 80 ft2/ac), maximum dbh (12, 16, and 20 in.) and site index (< 81 ft, 81 to 90 ft, and >90 ft) on the growth of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands after 5 yr of uneven-aged silviculture were determined from plots located in south Arkansas and north Louisiana. Designated levels of basal area and maximum dbh were achieved by harvesting; a q factor of 1.2 (using 1 in. dbh classes) was imposed on all plots as closely as possible. Stand-level models were developed for annual per acre net volume growth (merchantable cubic feet, sawtimber cubic feet, and sawtimber board feet, Doyle rule) and annual per acre survivor growth, ingrowth, and mortality components of basal area growth. Growth for all volume measures increased with an increase in basal area. Site index did not significantly affect merchantable cubic-foot growth but had a positive effect on sawtimber growth in both cubic feet and board feet, Doyle. Increases in maximum dbh decreased merchantable and sawtimber cubic-foot growth but increased growth for board-foot volume, Doyle. South. J. Appl. For. 18(3): 128-132.


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