Competition-induced changes in developmental features of planted Douglas-fir in southwestern British Columbia

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Brand

One- to five-year-old Douglas-fir, planted operationally, were measured for various developmental characteristics indicative of competition-induced acclimation to resource limitations. Characteristics were tested against a competition index based on measures of the brush canopy surrounding individual trees. The most promising developmental characteristics for assessing competition stress were the specific leaf area of foliage, the allometric relationship of height to basal area, and bud production on nodal shoots. Measures of foliar nitrogen status and leaf internode length were less well correlated with the competition index. Comparing these results with those of controlled laboratory studies gives an indication that on the sites studied, brush competition effects on planted trees are expressed through developmental acclimation to reduced light intensity. Developmental expression of changing nutrient or moisture availability was less evident, but may be confounded by reduced demand or secondary brush canopy effects.

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Schröder ◽  
Klaus von Gadow

A distance-independent competition index is derived from the basal area in larger trees (BAL) index combining individual tree's basal area percentiles with a relative-spacing stand-density measure. Empirical increment data from Maritime pine trees (Pinus pinaster Ait.) sampled from regular, naturally regenerated stands in the province of Pontevedra, northwestern Spain, are used to compare the performance of the two competition indices in the context of basal area growth modelling. The basal area increment of individual trees was first predicted exclusively as a response to competition using a two-parameter exponential function and then as a function of potential growth reduced by competition. For the criteria evaluated in this paper, the new competition index has shown superior qualities. The main improvement over BAL is the incorporation of the relative spacing measure.


1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 859-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. O'Hara

The growth of individual trees from four thinning treatments in a 64-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stand was analyzed to determine desirable residual stand structures after thinning. Dominant and codominant trees had the highest individual tree stem volume growth rates over the previous 5 years, and accounted for most stand volume growth in thinned and unthinned stands. Two measures of growing space, crown projection area and sapwood basal area (a surrogate for leaf area), were used to measure how efficiently individual trees used their growing space. Crown classes were useful in characterizing growing space efficiency (volume growth per unit of growing space) only in the unthinned treatment. In thinned treatments, tall trees with medium-sized crowns were most efficient, while in the unthinned treatment, tall trees with relatively large crowns were most efficient. A large crown in an unthinned stand was comparable in size to a medium-sized crown in a thinned stand. Results suggest growing space is not limiting individual tree growth in thinned stands and that thinning to a particular stand structure is more appropriate than thinning to a particular level of stand density.


1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Brand

To provide a method of quantifying brush competition in coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) plantations, data from 124 planted trees, 1–5 years old, were used to derive a competition index for predicting changes in tree vigour measured as a relative production rate. The index, including measures of brush proximity, relative height, and percent ground cover, appears to act as a measure of light interception around the tree crown. Tree vigour was found to be largely a function of the age of the tree from planting and the competition index (r2 = 0.71). Foliage-based measures of growth vigour were more strongly related to the index than basal area or height measures. The index has potential for assessing interspecific competition problems in young Douglas-fir plantations.


1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.S. Shumway ◽  
H.N. Chappell

The Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) has been used successfully in agricultural crops and holds promise for use in forest stands. This study used soil tests to develop DRIS norms and evaluate their effectiveness in coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) forests. DRIS norms for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium were developed using soil test and site index data from 72 soil series that commonly support Douglas-fir in western Washington. The norms were tested using soil test and stand basal area growth response data from 20 thinned and 30 unthinned N fertilizer test sites in coastal Washington and Oregon. Response to urea fertilizer in thinned stands averaged 34% and 43% for 224 and 448 kg N•ha−1, respectively, when N was identified as the most limiting nutrient. When N was not the most limiting nutrient, N response averaged 8% and 10% for 224 and 448 kg N•ha−1, respectively. Results were similar in unthinned stands and thinned stands, although response to fertilizer appeared to be slightly less in unthinned stands when N was the most limiting nutrient. DRIS correctly classified 25 of the 33 sites (76%) where N fertilizer increased growth by more than 15%. More importantly, 13 of the 17 (76%) sites that responded by less than 15% were correctly identified by DRIS. The results clearly indicate that N fertilizer response is dependent on the interactions (balance) between soil nutrients at a given site. Future soil diagnostic work needs to focus on techniques, like DRIS, that provide an assessment of these interactions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2297
Author(s):  
Jonathon J. Donager ◽  
Andrew J. Sánchez Meador ◽  
Ryan C. Blackburn

Applications of lidar in ecosystem conservation and management continue to expand as technology has rapidly evolved. An accounting of relative accuracy and errors among lidar platforms within a range of forest types and structural configurations was needed. Within a ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona, we compare vegetation attributes at the tree-, plot-, and stand-scales derived from three lidar platforms: fixed-wing airborne (ALS), fixed-location terrestrial (TLS), and hand-held mobile laser scanning (MLS). We present a methodology to segment individual trees from TLS and MLS datasets, incorporating eigen-value and density metrics to locate trees, then assigning point returns to trees using a graph-theory shortest-path approach. Overall, we found MLS consistently provided more accurate structural metrics at the tree- (e.g., mean absolute error for DBH in cm was 4.8, 5.0, and 9.1 for MLS, TLS and ALS, respectively) and plot-scale (e.g., R2 for field observed and lidar-derived basal area, m2 ha−1, was 0.986, 0.974, and 0.851 for MLS, TLS, and ALS, respectively) as compared to ALS and TLS. While TLS data produced estimates similar to MLS, attributes derived from TLS often underpredicted structural values due to occlusion. Additionally, ALS data provided accurate estimates of tree height for larger trees, yet consistently missed and underpredicted small trees (≤35 cm). MLS produced accurate estimates of canopy cover and landscape metrics up to 50 m from plot center. TLS tended to underpredict both canopy cover and patch metrics with constant bias due to occlusion. Taking full advantage of minimal occlusion effects, MLS data consistently provided the best individual tree and plot-based metrics, with ALS providing the best estimates for volume, biomass, and canopy cover. Overall, we found MLS data logistically simple, quickly acquirable, and accurate for small area inventories, assessments, and monitoring activities. We suggest further work exploring the active use of MLS for forest monitoring and inventory.


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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 755-763
Author(s):  
M. Nagaraj M. Nagaraj ◽  
M. Udayakumar

A forest tree inventory study was conducted in Vallanadu Black buck sanctuary, Tuticorin. The current study was conducted to assess tree density, species richness, basal area (BA) and aboveground biomass (AGB) stockpile. The study area has been classified as Southern Thorn Forest (SFT). One hundred square plots (total area 1 ha), each 10m × 10m (100 m2 each) laid randomly across study area. All live trees with ≥5 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) measured at 137 cm above the ground. As the whole, 1335 individual trees ≥5cm DBH recorded. A total number of 18 species recorded from 14 genera and 11 families in study area. The family Mimosaceae has maximum number of species (7 species) followed by Rhamnaceae (2 species), while 9 families had just single species’ each. The total basal area recorded was 22.046 m2 ha-1, while, the mean wood density (WD) of trees estimated as 0.70±0.093 g cm-3. Total amount of 50.065 Mg ha-1 present in STF. The contribution of different species in terms of total AGB varied significantly. Commiphora berryi stocked 45.13% (22.588 Mg ha-1) of AGB followed by A. planifrons (23.31%, 11.669 Mg ha-1), A. mellifera (7.233%, 3.621 Mg ha-1), whereas remaining 15 species collectively stocked 24.327% (12.187 Mg ha-1) AGB. The STF had a large number of trees compared to some dry forests within Tamil Nadu. Southern Thorn Forest endowed with a moderate number of trees species. Aboveground biomass stockpile of trees is comparable with the range recorded from Indian dry forests. The study area experiences lesser mean annual rainfall and >6 months dry season. Further, endowed with short-bole and smaller leaved trees, hence stocked a relatively lesser AGB in trees.


MAKILA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-86
Author(s):  
Yustina Anggraini ◽  
Paulus Matius ◽  
Hastaniah Hastaniah ◽  
Rita Diana

This research aims to inventory local wisdom in the management and utilization of plants as food and medicine by local communities. The method conducted in this study is the purposive sampling method that aims to inventory plant species, direct observation, and analyze data by calculating density and basal area. The results showed 243 individual plants, consisting of 53 types of trees from 17 families, and found 29 types of plants were used as food and medicine. The utilization of plants by local communities varies. People use plant species for various benefits, namely foodstuffs, building materials, handicrafts, and traditional medicines. Local wisdom in the local community is the knowledge that lasts for generations and has a symbiotic relationship of mutualism with the forest ecosystem at the research site.


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