Total and Merchantable Volume Equations for 25 Commercial Tree Species Grown in Canada and the Northeastern United States

Accurate estimates of tree bole volume are fundamental to sustainable forest management. Total inside and outside bark and merchantable volume equations were developed for 25 major commercial tree species grown in natural stands in eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States. Data used to develop these equations was collected from 9647 trees sampled from natural stands across the study area. The number of trees sampled varied among species. Jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) had the most observations (1648 trees) and American basswood (Tilia americana) and red oak (Quercus rubra L.) had the fewest (28 trees each). Two mathematically consistent volume equations (dimensionally compatible and combined variable) were fitted to inside and outside bark and merchantable tree volume data from these tree species. The final volume equation was selected based on fit statistics, predictive accuracy, and logical consistency. Its predictive accuracy was compared with a volume equation previously developed by Honer. Both (total and merchantable) volume equations were fitted using a nonlinear mixed-effects modelling approach. However, random effects were significant for total volumes for only four tree species. A weight (power function) was used to address heteroscedasticity in the data. The modified form of the dimensionally compatible volume equation outperformed the combined variable volume equation in terms of fit statistics and predictive accuracy and was selected as the total inside and outside bark and merchantable volume equations for all tree species. This equation produced logically consistent estimates of total and merchantable volumes and was more accurate than that previously developed by Honer to estimate volumes for most of the tree species used in this study. This new equation can be used to estimate total inside and outside bark and merchantable volumes of major commercial tree species in eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States.

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Increasing Volumetric Prediction Accuracy—An Essential Prerequisite for End-Product Forecasting in Red Pine

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11101050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 1050

Author(s):

Mahadev Sharma

Keyword(s):

Goodness Of Fit ◽

Sustainable Forest Management ◽

Predictive Accuracy ◽

Red Pine ◽

Parameter Estimates ◽

Eastern Canada ◽

Variable Volume ◽

Pine Trees ◽

Volume Equation ◽

Volume Equations

Sustainable forest management requires accurate estimates of wood volume. At present, red pine (Pinus resinosa Sol. ex Aiton) is the most widely planted conifer tree species in southern Ontario, Canada. Therefore, inside and outside bark volume equations were developed for red pine trees grown in plantations. One hundred and fifty red pine trees were sampled from 30 even-aged plantations from across Ontario, Canada. Height-diameter pairs along the boles of sampled trees used to calculate stem volumes were obtained from stem analysis. Equations fitted to the data were a combined variable, modified combined variable, and modified form of dimensionally compatible volume equations. These equations were compared for their goodness-of-fit statistics, logical consistency, and predictive accuracy. The goodness-of-fit characteristics for all three equations were comparable for both inside and outside bark volumes. However, the estimated values for the intercept for the modified form of the dimensionally compatible and modified combined variable volume equations were negative and nonsignificant. The combined variable volume equation resulted in logically consistent parameter estimates in the presence of random effects parameters. Therefore, this equation was selected as the inside and outside bark volume equation for red pine trees grown in plantations. A nonlinear mixed-effects modeling approach was applied in fitting the final volume equation that included a weight (power function) to address heteroscedasticity. The equations developed here can be used to calculate inside and outside bark volumes of red pine plantations in boreal forests in Eastern Canada. These equations would require both diameter at breast height (DBH) and total height values in meters.

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Effects of nitrogen deposition on nitrate leaching from forests of the northeastern United States will change with tree species composition

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2016-0529 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 47 (8) ◽

pp. 997-1009 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Katherine F. Crowley ◽

Gary M. Lovett

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Species Composition ◽

Nitrate Leaching ◽

Tree Species ◽

N Deposition ◽

Red Oak ◽

Northeastern United States ◽

Tree Species Composition ◽

White Ash ◽

Species Change

As tree species composition in forests of the northeastern United States changes due to invasive forest pests, climate change, or other stressors, the extent to which forests will retain or release N from atmospheric deposition remains uncertain. We used a species-specific, dynamic forest ecosystem model (Spe-CN) to investigate how nitrate (NO3–) leaching may vary among stands dominated by different species, receiving varied atmospheric N inputs, or undergoing species change due to an invasive forest pest (emerald ash borer; EAB). In model simulations, NO3– leaching varied widely among stands dominated by 12 northeastern North American tree species. Nitrate leaching increased with N deposition or forest age, generally with greater magnitude for deciduous (except red oak) than coniferous species. Species with lowest baseline leaching rates (e.g., red spruce, eastern hemlock, red oak) showed threshold responses to N deposition. EAB effects on leaching depended on the species replacing white ash: after 100 years, predicted leaching increased 73% if sugar maple replaced ash but decreased 55% if red oak replaced ash. This analysis suggests that the effects of tree species change on NO3– leaching over time may be large and variable and should be incorporated into predictions of effects of N deposition on leaching from forested landscapes.

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Aluminum solubility and mobility in relation to organic carbon in surface soils affected by six tree species of the northeastern United States

Geoderma ◽

10.1016/s0016-7061(02)00340-3 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 114 (1-2) ◽

pp. 33-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Feike A Dijkstra ◽

Ross D Fitzhugh

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Tree Species ◽

Northeastern United States ◽

Surface Soils ◽

Aluminum Solubility

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Estimating Breast Height Diameters from Stump Measurements in British Columbia

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc58143-3 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 58 (3) ◽

pp. 143-145 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Julien P. Demaerschalk ◽

Stephen A. Y. Omule

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Prediction Model ◽

Tree Species ◽

Prediction System ◽

Tree Diameter ◽

Local Volume ◽

Breast Height ◽

Central Canada ◽

Volume Equation ◽

Stump Diameter

A means of estimating tree diameter at breast height from stump measurements has many applications. In this paper, metric equations are derived for estimating diameters at breast height from measured stump heights for all commercial tree species in British Columbia by age class and biogeoclimatic zones. The model found best was the same one as used by Alemdag and Honer (1977) for eleven tree species from eastern and central Canada. This prediction system can be incorporated into any local volume equation to derive a tree volume prediction model based on stump diameter and stump height.

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Individual Tree Volume Equations for the Northeastern United States: Evaluation and New Form Quotient Board Foot Equations1

Northern Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/njaf/6.1.27 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 27-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Thomas E. Burk ◽

Richard P. Hans ◽

Eric H. Wharton

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Northeastern United States ◽

Individual Tree ◽

Tree Form ◽

Forest Survey ◽

Species Groups ◽

New Form ◽

Using Data ◽

Volume Equations

Abstract Volume equations used in forest survey in the northeastern United States were evaluated using data collected as part of utilization studies. Results are presented for both cubic foot and board foot equations for 16 species groups. Existing cubic foot equations were found to be satisfactory while the board foot equations generally produced significantly large underestimates. New board foot equations that include a measure of tree form were derived. North. J. Appl. For. 6(1):27-31, March 1989.

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