scholarly journals Fifth-Year Response to Thinning in a Water Oak Plantation in North Louisiana

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Meadows ◽  
J.C.G. Goelz

Abstract A 21 ac, 28-yr-old water oak (Quercus nigra L.) plantation, on an old-field loessial site in north Louisiana, was subjected to three thinning treatments during the winter of 1987–1988: (1) no thinning, (2) light thinning to 180 dominant and codominant trees/ac, and (3) heavy thinning to 90 dominant and codominant trees/ac. Prior to thinning, the plantation averaged 356 trees/ac and 86 ft2/ac of basal area, with a quadratic mean diameter of 6.7 in. Thinning reduced stand basal areas to 52 and 34 ft2/ac for the light and heavy thinning treatments, respectively. After 5 yr, both thinning treatments increased diameter growth rates of individual residual trees, both when all trees were considered and when the analysis was limited to dominant and codominant trees only. Neither thinning treatment affected either stand-level volume growth or total yield 5 yr after treatment. However, thinning distributed total volume growth among fewer trees, such that, when trees of all crown classes were considered in the analysis, average annual volume growth per tree increased with increasing intensity of thinning. Both basal area growth and volume growth following light thinning appear to be sufficient to promote rapid recovery of the stand to a fully stocked condition in the near future. In contrast, heavy thinning reduced density to a severely understocked condition that will prohibit optimum occupancy of the site for a long period. Among the treatments evaluated in this study, light thinning produced the most desirable combination of individual-tree diameter growth and stand-level basal area growth. South. J. Appl. For. 25(1):31–39.

1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Moore ◽  
Carl A. Budelsky ◽  
Richard C. Schlesinger

A new competition index, modified Area Potentially Available (APA), was tested in a complex unevenaged stand composed of 19 different hardwood species. APA considers tree size, spatial distribution, and distance relationships in quantifying intertree competition and exhibits a strong correlation with individual tree basal area growth. The most important characteristic of APA is its potential for evaluating silvicultural practices.


2000 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael M. Huebschmann ◽  
Lawrence R. Gering ◽  
Thomas B. Lynch ◽  
Onesphore Bitoki ◽  
Paul A. Murphy

Abstract A system of equations modeling the growth and development of uneven-aged shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) stands is described. The prediction system consists of two main components: (1) a distance-independent, individual-tree simulator containing equations that forecast ingrowth, basal-area growth, probability of survival, total and merchantable heights, and total and merchantable volumes and weights of shortleaf pine trees; and (2) stand-level equations that predict hardwood ingrowth, basal-area growth, and mortality. These equations were combined into a computer simulation program that forecasts future states of uneven-aged shortleaf pine stands. Based on comparisons of observed and predicted stand conditions in shortleaf pine permanent forest inventory plots and examination of the growth patterns of hypothetical stands, the simulator makes acceptable forecasts of stand attributes. South. J. Appl. For. 24(2):112-120.


2004 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lianjun Zhang ◽  
Changhui Peng ◽  
Qinglai Dang

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


2004 ◽  
Vol 174 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 115-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.J Colbert ◽  
Michael Schuckers ◽  
Desta Fekedulegn ◽  
James Rentch ◽  
Máirtı́n MacSiúrtáin ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 961-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica I Emhart ◽  
Timothy A Martin ◽  
Timothy L White ◽  
Dudley A Huber

We quantified basal area increment phenology over a 2-year period in one loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and four slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii) full-sib families propagated as rooting cuttings. In 2002, basal area growth started in March and stopped in October for both species, while in 2003, initiation and cessation occurred 2 weeks earlier for all families. In both years, peaks in basal area increment occurred in short (2–3 week) periods in the early spring for all families, followed by linear basal area growth until cessation. While there were significant size differences among taxa (species and families) at age 6 and 7 years, genetic differences in basal area growth rate were only expressed during short, discrete time periods primarily in the spring and fall. Basal area growth rate increased during periods when water soil availability increased (up to 300 mm), but an excess in water availability in the soil had a negative impact on growth. Within-family individual-tree broad-sense heritabilities ranged from 0.01 to 0.37 for all traits. In general, heritabilities were higher for growth traits than for phenological traits for all families. Both the strength and direction of correlation estimates of phenological traits with growth rate varied across families and years.


2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 898-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Bédard ◽  
Zoran Majcen

Eight experimental blocks were established in the southern part of Québec to determine the growth response of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) dominated stands after single tree selection cutting. Each block contained eight control plots (no cut) and eight cut plots. The intensity of removal varied between 21% and 32% and residual basal area was between 18.2 and 21 m2/ha. Ten year net annual basal area growth rates in cut plots (0.35 ± 0.04 m2/ha) were significantly higher (p = 0.0022) than in control plots (0.14 ± 0.06 m2/ha). The treatment particularly favoured diameter growth of stems between 10 and 30 cm in dbh, whose crowns were released by removing neighbouring trees. These results show that if the same net growth rate is maintained in the next decade most of the cut plots will reach their pre-cut basal area in about 20 years after cutting. Key words: northern hardwoods, selection cutting, uneven aged silviculture, basal area growth, diameter growth


1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 534-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Sprinz ◽  
Harold E. Burkhart

Empirical and theoretical relationships between tree crown, stem, and stand characteristics for unthinned stands of planted loblolly pine (Pinustaeda L.) were investigated. Readily measured crown variables representing the amount of photosynthetic area or distance of the translocation process were identified. Various functions of these variables were defined and evaluated with regard to efficacy in predicting stem and stand attributes. Linear models were used to evaluate the contribution of the crown variables in predicting stem and stand characteristics. The stem attributes modeled included basal area, basal area growth, diameter at breast height, and diameter growth, while the stand attributes modeled were basal area, basal area growth, arithmetic mean diameter, and mean diameter growth. Crown diameter and crown projection area were particularly important in contributing to model fit and prediction of individual stem characteristics, while sum of crown projection areas was found especially important in stand level equations. As these crown measures developed over time so did corresponding stem and stand attributes.


1986 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Cattelino ◽  
Charles A. Becker ◽  
Leslie G. Fuller

Abstract Dendrometer bands are common tools used when accurate measurement of tree-diameter growth or basal-area growth is desired. This common type of dendrometer consists of a metal band placed around the stem of the tree with reading scales scribed on the overlapping portions of the band. Homemade dendrometer bands can be made and installed efficiently and economically. Complete instructions together with a description of materials necessary for the construction and placement of dendrometer bands are presented. Evaluation of dendrometer bands in a field setting is also discussed. North. J. Appl. For. 3:73-75, June 1986.


1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Murphy ◽  
Edwin R. Lawson ◽  
Thomas B. Lynch

Abstract Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) stands, average age 41 years, were thinned to different density levels (45 to 125 ft² of basal area in increments of 20 ft²). The stands received no further thinning. Equations for projected volumes and basal area per acre given initial conditions were formulated and fitted. The following trends were observed using the equations. Over a 24-year period, total basal area growth per acre started out over 2 ft² and had declined to less than 2 ft² by the end. Annual basal area growth had already culminated by age 41. Total annual cubic-foot volume growth per acre depended largely on initial stocking. The initial stocking and subsequent growth of the sawtimber portion were not related to the thinning treatments. Although sawtimber periodic annual cubic-foot growth culminated during the period under study, board-foot growth did not, indicating that mean annual increment for board-foot volumes had not culminated by age 64. South. J. Appl. For. 16(1):30-34.


1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 621-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannu Hökkä ◽  
Arthur Groot

A basal area growth model was developed to predict the growth of individual trees in second-growth black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands on northeastern Ontario peatlands. The data were derived from stem analysis trees collected in 1985 and 1986 from stands harvested 47-68 years earlier. For a period starting from the date of data collection and going back to 10 years from the harvesting, tree basal area growth, diameters, and stand characteristics were retrospectively calculated at 5-year intervals. To estimate previous mortality, self-thinning relationships for black spruce were applied. In the model, 5-year basal area growth of a tree was expressed as a function of tree diameter, stand-level competition, tree-level competition, and peat thickness. There was considerable change in the growth-size relationship over time. A random parameter approach was applied in model construction to account for the spatial and temporal correlations of the observations. The proposed model explicitly incorporates factors normally included in a "random error" term and, therefore, should provide more sensitive tests of the contributions of the various factors to growth prediction. The estimated model showed only slight bias against the modeling data and the predicted stand basal area development was comparable with that given in other studies.


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