Modelling annual individual-tree growth and mortality of Scots pine with data obtained at irregular measurement intervals and containing missing observations

An individual-tree growth model was developed with data from 54 permanent plots of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) located in Galicia (northwestern Spain). The study involved two model fitting approaches, one considering constant growth and mortality rates in the period between two consecutive inventories, and another considering variable growth and mortality rates in the same period. The individual-tree growth model was based on annual basal area growth, height growth and survival probability. The model included variables from groups pertaining to tree size, competition and age. Weighted regression was used as a tool for dealing with missing height observations in model fitting. Evaluation of the model via simulation of growth and mortality in the period between inventories showed that the variable growth rate approach provided slightly better results than the constant growth rate approach. The final model was consistent with expected diameter growth, height growth, dominant height growth, stand basal area growth and reduction in number of stems per hectare.     

桂西南马尾松人工林生长对不同强度采伐的动态响应

[目的]研究不同强度采伐下马尾松的生长动态,筛选适宜的采伐强度,为马尾松人工林近自然经营提供技术支撑。[方法]2007年10月在14年生马尾松人工林(保存密度1 100株·hm~(-2))内进行采伐试验,设置4个采伐强度,即保留密度分别为225、300、375、450株·hm~(-2),以不采伐为对照;其后,自2008年开始连续8 a,每2 a测定1次马尾松的胸径、树高、枝下高和冠面积等生长指标,并计算单株材积和林分蓄积量,应用方差分析和Duncan多重比较分析生长指标对不同采伐强度的动态响应。[结果]表明:采伐强度显著影响林分生长,其中,林分平均胸径、单株材积、冠面积的年均增长量随保留密度增大而减小,但均显著高于对照(P0.05)。采伐后第1 3年,马尾松冠面积增长量显著高于采伐后期,胸径则在采伐后第3 5年最高,而不同采伐强度对林分树高生长影响不明显。保留密度显著影响林分枝下高和蓄积量的动态变化,其年均增长量随密度增大而递增。5个处理间林分蓄积年均增长量的差异随林龄的增大而逐渐缩小。[结论]马尾松人工林生长对不同强度采伐的动态响应以树冠最敏感,冠面积首先陡然增大,进而引起胸径的快速生长。树高和枝下高在采伐后年均增量变化相对平稳。4个采伐强度均显著促进单株材积生长,而仅保留密度为225株·hm~(-2)的采伐对林分蓄积增长量影响显著。综合比较林分的单株材积和林分蓄积连年增长量,建议在桂西南15年生马尾松人工林近自然经营中宜选择300株·hm~(-2)的保留密度进行采伐。     

Modelling growing space of four valuable broadleaved tree species in southern China

We present management tools for growing four valuable broadleaved tree species, indigenous to subtropi.cal southern China. Crown diameter （CD） of the species studied can be predicted very well by using a model that is so e y a near funct on of d ameter at breast he ght （DBH）. The add t on of tree age （AGE） and yield class （YC） to this-nodel did not significantly improve its predictive capacity. We used species-specific crown diameter models to calcu- ate the amount of growing space and subsequently stand density that each species needs to achieve desired stem ＂adial growth rates. Furthermore we used this information to calculate a ＂distance factor＂, a rule of thumb that roughly ~stimates the distance between two neighboring trees needed to achieve a desired future target diameter. These tools ＇acilitate the planning of thinning regimes by using crown diameter models combined with annual radial growth rates to ;alculate the number of crop trees per hectare required to reach a desired target stem diameter.     

杉木人工林收获模型系统的研究*

利用优势木高生长与密度关系相对较小，并且是立地和年龄的函数这一特性以及直径生长的多因子效应等生物学规律，将优势高作为独立变量引入其它相关模型构建了杉木人工林收获模型系统。解决了杉木工林自然生长和伐后生长模拟，建立了标准树高曲线和直径与断面积相容性预估模型以及间伐模拟系统，推导出了由于间伐而引起的非生长性增长的计算公式。     

A process‐based model for the dimensional growth of even‐aged stands

An individual tree, process‐based stand growth model is presented. It is based on the carbon balance, according to which tree growth depends on the activities of photosynthesis, respiration and senescence. A simple model is specified for each component of the carbon balance. Next, equations for the tree structure, in which e.g. pipe‐model theory is utilized, are presented. The growth model for dry‐weights of tree compartments based on the carbon balance is transformed using these equations to allow the expression of growth in terms of diameter and height. It is also possible to aggregate a number of physiological and biometrical coefficients into a small number of generalized coefficients of the dimensional growth model. Additional components, including the equations for recession of the crown base and tree survival that are necessary for a stand growth model, are specified. Comparison of the stand growth model with a yield table and a growth model for a sapling stand suggests that the model is capable of accounting for the basic features of stand growth. Furthermore, simulations with varying initial density and some of the model's coefficients indicate that the stand growth model is approximately consistent with the so‐called self‐thinning rule.     

马尾松人工同龄纯林自然稀疏规律研究

通过对马尾松4~20年生不同密度的人工同龄纯林生长资料的分析表明:第1次树高生长分化高峰期在4~7年生,第2次在11~14年生,幼林郁闭后林木直径分化状态比较稳定。中幼林期抚育间伐主要采伐劣等木,进入近熟林期后除采伐劣等木外,还可采伐一部分中等木。间伐施工应以留优去劣为主,适当照顾均匀。总稀疏强度与密度呈正相关性,出现稀疏的时间随密度增大而提前;连年稀疏强度高峰期出现在林分郁闭后的一段时间内。根据总稀疏强度与稀疏时间同密度的关系可确定不同密度林分的间伐强度与时间。利用马尾松人工林观测资料拟合出与立地条件、现存株数密度、林龄三因子相关的自然稀疏模型,从而可推算出不同立地条件的自然稀疏表,为马尾松人工林密度调控提供科学依据。     

广西凭祥西南桦中幼林林木生长过程与造林密度的关系

造林密度决定着林分后期密度大小,是影响人工林生长的重要因素之一,与林木生长过程密切相关,决定着林分的健康状况及生产力,是林分合理结构的数量基础[1].造林密度过高将过早加剧林分内部竞争,增加林木死亡率,减少生长量[2-5],因此,确定合理的造林密度是人工林营造的关键技术环节,揭示造林密度与林木生长过程的关系,将有助于制定合理的人工林经营制度.     

武冈林场第二代人工杉木中幼林抚育间伐强度试验研究初探

武冈林场第二代人工杉木中幼林抚育间伐强度试验表明:a.杉木中幼龄林抚育间伐能促进林分胸径、树高、材积的增长,能使林分的速生期延长1-2年,能有效地提高林分产量,提高木材质量;b.不同的抚育间伐强度类型对林分生长因子的影响效果不同,以株数间伐强度30-40%效果最佳;c.对培育大径材的杉木林分,可实施三次间伐,第一次在9-11年,第二次在14-16年,第三次在19-22年;第三次间伐能明显促进后期林分胸径生长。     

Effect of thinning intensity on tree growth and temporal variation of seed and cone production in a Pinus koraiensis plantation

Thinning of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.) is used to facilitate timber and cone production. The present study in Northeast China investigated the effects of thinning intensity on individual tree growth, temporal variation in cone yield, and seed quality in Korean pine plantation. In 2005, five thinning intensity levels (none, extreme, heavy, moderate and light) were set in 15 permanent plots in a 32-year-old Korean pine plantation at Mengjiagang Forest Farm, Jiamusi City, Heilongjiang Province. We recorded tree growth and seed cone production from 2013 to 2016, i.e., from 8 to 11 years after thinning. Except for height growth, thinning increased tree growth (diameter at breast height and crown size) and improved cone yield. The extreme thinning treatment (to 300 trees per hectare) resulted in the largest tree diameter, tree volume, crown size and 4-year cone production per tree. The highest cone yield per tree in the mast year (2014) was observed when stands were thinned to 500 trees per hectare (heavy thinning). Although the best cone and seed quality and the largest cone and seed mass per tree were recorded in the heavily thinned stand, no significant differences were found between heavy and moderate thinning stands (750 trees per hectare). At the stand level, the moderately thinned stand had the highest basal area, stock volume and seed cone production per stand. Our results suggest that thinning to 750 trees per hectare will improve timber and cone productivity in 40-year-old P. koraiensis stands.     

Response to the interaction of thinning and pruning of pine species in Mediterranean mountains

Pruning allows knot-free timber to be obtained, thereby increasing the value of the highest-value wood products. However, the effect of pruning on growth is under discussion, and knowledge about the tree response to the simultaneous development of thinning and pruning is scarce. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of the interaction of thinning and pruning on tree and stand level and the annual radial growth of two pine species native to Mediterranean mountains. We used long-term data of three trials installed in pine stands where several combinations of pruning and thinning were developed. Five inventories were carried out for each trial, and the mean dasometric features of the different treatments were compared using linear mixed models including a competition index. In addition, we collected cores from ten trees per plot in order to evaluate the annual response of trees to the thinning and pruning. We analyzed the annual radial growth using a semiparametric approach through a smooth penalized spline including rainfall and temperature covariates. Pruning did not show any effect on growth. However, larger diameter and increased annual radial growth were found in thinned plots, both with and without pruning, as compared to unthinned plots. Also, we found significant effects of climate on annual radial growth. We recommend the application of thinning and pruning in stands of Mediterranean mountains in order to get knot-free timber since growth reduction was not found in thinned stands.     

Impacts of thinning on structure,growth and risk of crown fire in a Pinus sylvestris L. plantation in northern Spain

We studied the combined effects of thinning on stand structure, growth, and fire risk for a Scots pine thinning trial in northern Spain 4 years following treatment. The thinning treatments were: no thinning, heavy thinning (32–46% of basal area removed) and very heavy thinning (51–57% of basal area removed). Thinning was achieved via a combination of systematic and selective methods by removing every seventh row of trees and then by cutting suppressed and subdominant trees in the remaining rows (i.e., thinning from below). Four years after thinning, mean values and probability density distributions of stand structural indices showed that the heavier the thinning, the stronger the tendency towards random tree spatial positions. Height and diameter differentiation were initially low for these plantations and decreased after the 4-year period in both control and thinned plots. Mark variograms indicated low spatial autocorrelation in tree diameters at short distances. Diameter increment was significantly correlated with the inter-tree competition indices, and also with the mean directional stand structural index. Two mixed models were proposed for estimating diameter increment using a spatial index based on basal area of larger trees (BALMOD) in one model versus spatial competition index by Bella in the other model. As well, a model to estimate canopy bulk density (CBD) was developed, as this variable is important for fire risk assessment. Both heavy and very heavy thinning resulted in a decrease of crown fire risk over no thinning, because of the reduction in CBD. However, thinning had no effect on the height to crown base and thus on the flame length for torching. Overall, although thinning did not increase size differentiation between trees in the short term, the increase in diameter increment following thinning and the reduction of crown fire risks support the use of thinning. Also, thinning is a necessary first step towards converting Scots pine plantations to more natural mixed broadleaved woodlands. In particular, the very heavy thinning treatment could be considered a first step towards conversion of overstocked stands.     

全国杉木人工林间伐表编制的研究

根据全国各带，区，各指数级杉木林分生长过程，编制了８～２２指数级相应的间伐表共５组（即南带，北带，中带东区，中区和西区）利用５３块间伐标地材料，以ｙ＝ａ＋ｂｘ模型，求出间伐后的平均高和平均胸径的回归经验式，该表与利用杉木林分密度管理图编制的间伐表进行检验比较，误差在１．９％～２．６７％之间，间伐开始期，则视初植密度的大小，与指数级的高低而异，间伐终止期，一般为１５ａ，最大不超过１８ａ，且与初植密度     

Effects on stem growth of Scots pine 33 years after thinning and/or fertilization in northern Sweden

Thinning and fertilization are two common and important stand treatments in forest management. In terms of area treated, thinning is the single most common form of stand treatment. The extent of forest fertilization on the other hand, has varied widely in recent decades and is currently not very common. Thinning is done primarily to promote stand properties while fertilization is done to increase growth before future final felling. After thinning stands of Scots pine, overall growth decreases, while growth of residual trees increases. An experiment was established outside Vindeln in northern Sweden where the long-term growth effects after thinning and/or fertilization were evaluated after 33 years. Experimental set-up was a randomized block design including 12 replications of four treatments. Treatments were control, fertilization, thinning, and thinning and fertilization combined. Thinning decreased overall and annual volume growth ha^?1, and increased green crown size and diameter growth at breast height (1.3 m, DBH) for the individual trees. No positive growth responses to fertilization could be seen after 33 years. In summary, this study showed that thinning can have long term effects on the growth of a Scots pine stand in northern Sweden. Possible reasons for the lack of positive response following fertilization are discussed.     

高阿丁枫人工林幼中林期的生长规律

对西双版纳普文试验林场的21年生高阿丁枫人工林进行了样地调查, 选取平均木作树干解析, 据此全面分析了高阿丁枫人工林幼中林期的直径、树高、材积生长过程以及林分状态、林木的年生长节律和结实状况,结果表明在此期间高阿丁枫人工林林木的树高生长旺盛期在3~5年, 胸径在3~7年, 材积在15年以后增长较快; 林分中林木分化不明显; 年生长期长。林分尚未进入数量成熟期。     

Response of branch growth and mortality to silvicultural treatments in coastal Douglas-fir plantations: Implications for predicting tree growth

Static models of individual tree crown attributes such as height to crown base and maximum branch diameter profile have been developed for several commercially important species. Dynamic models of individual branch growth and mortality have received less attention, but have generally been developed retrospectively by dissecting felled trees; however, this approach is limited by the lack of historic stand data and the difficulty in determining the exact timing of branch death. This study monitored the development of individual branches on 103 stems located on a variety of silvicultural trials in the Pacific Northwest, USA. The results indicated that branch growth and mortality were significantly influenced by precommercial thinning (PCT), commercial thinning, fertilization, vegetation management, and a foliar disease known as Swiss needle cast [caused by Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii (T. Rohde) Petr.]. Models developed across these datasets accounted for treatment effects through variables such as tree basal area growth and the size of the crown. Insertion of the branch growth and mortality equations into an individual-tree modeling framework, significantly improved short-term predictions of crown recession on an independent series of silvicultural trials, which increased mean accuracy of diameter growth prediction (reduction in mean bias). However, the static height to crown base equation resulted in a lower mean square error for the tree diameter and height growth predictions. Overall, individual branches were found to be highly responsive to changes in stand conditions imposed by silvicultural treatments, and therefore represent an important mechanism explaining tree and stand growth responses.     

A growth model for Pinus radiata D. Don stands in north-western Spain

A dynamic whole-stand growth model for radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) stands in north-western Spain is presented. In this model, the initial stand conditions at any point in time are defined by three state variables (number of trees per hectare, stand basal area and dominant height), and are used to estimate total or merchantable stand volume for a given projection age. The model uses three transition functions derived with the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) to project the corresponding stand state variables at any particular time. These equations were fitted using the base-age-invariant dummy variables method. In addition, the model incorporates a function for predicting initial stand basal area, which can be used to establish the starting point for the simulation. Once the state variables are known for a specific moment, a distribution function is used to estimate the number of trees in each diameter class by recovering the parameters of the Weibull function, using the moments of first and second order of the distribution. By using a generalized height-diameter function to estimate the height of the average tree in each diameter class, combined with a taper function that uses the above predicted diameter and height, it is then possible to estimate total or merchantable stand volume.     

柚木人工林疏伐试验研究

对闽南山地柚木人工林开展不同强度疏伐试验,结果表明,在Ⅲ类立地和初植密度1335株,hm2的条件下,7．5a生左右时即可开始进行疏伐;在疏伐强度10％-40％范围内,随着疏伐强度的加大,林分生长量、土壤肥力、光合作用强度等也趋于提高。根据生产实际,若以年均树高生长量达1．3m、胸径达1．5cm以上为目标,并结合生态效益,则适宜的首次疏伐强度为20％～40％,保留密度为750～1000株/hm2。     

抚育间伐对杉木人工林生长及出材量的影响

间伐对人工林生长及木材质量具有重要影响。在浙江开化开展了间伐强度（强度、中度和对照）和间伐方式（间伐1次,间伐2次）对杉木人工林生长及出材量等的影响研究,第1试验区大径材培育林分在第7年和第14年进行了2次间伐,第2试验区中径材培育林分仅在第12年时进行1次间伐。结果表明：22年生大径材培育林分和19年生中径材培育林分不同间伐处理之间树高、总断面积的差异均不显著。间伐显著增加了林木胸径的生长,大径材培育林分强度和中度间伐处理的平均胸径分别比对照增加13.78%和9.69%,中径材培育林分强度和中度间伐处理的平均胸径分别比对照增加12.28%和7.02%。间伐显著促进了林木单株材积的增加,2组试验林分活立木材积随着间伐强度的增加而降低,第1试验区22年生林分不同间伐强度之间活立木材积的差异不显著（P>0.05）,第2试验区强度间伐活立木材积显著低于对照（P<0.05）,中度间伐林分活立木材积与对照和强度间伐之间的差异不显著（P>0.05）。2组试验林分总蓄积和出材量也随着间伐强度的增加而降低,二者在3种间伐处理之间均没有显著差异（P>0.05）。间伐强度不能有效增加林分活立木材积和林分出材量,间伐次数对林分出材量及出材规格有重要影响。试验区杉木大径材培育以2次间伐,总间伐强度50%左右较为适宜,而中径材培育则以1次中度间伐（约25%）为宜。     

白桦伐根萌芽幼、中龄林生长规律的初步研究

对内蒙古乌兰察布市卓资县上高台林场的白桦伐根萌芽幼、中龄林实施长期封禁,通过固定标准地对白桦萌芽林多项生长因子进行定期调查测定,开展白桦萌芽林不同龄级年均生长量和根系生长发育、林木分化和自然稀疏强度以及立地条件变化对生长的影响等的分析研究,结果表明：全封育的白桦萌芽林树高年均生长量最大期在6～15年之间;胸径年均生长量...