Leaf area prediction models for Tsuga canadensis in Maine

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1574-1582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura S Kenefic ◽  
Robert S Seymour

Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. (eastern hemlock) is a common species throughout the Acadian forest. Studies of leaf area and growth efficiency in this forest type have been limited by the lack of equations to predict leaf area of this species. We found that sapwood area was an effective leaf area surrogate in T. canadensis, though adding crown length to the sapwood equations improved model performance. Prediction bias was observed at the upper end of our data for the best sapwood equation. Sapwood area at crown base did not predict leaf area as well as sapwood area at breast height. Equations using crown length or crown volume alone were the least effective of all models tested. Models using stem cross-sectional area inside the bark or tree basal area with a modified live crown ratio produced results comparable with those of the best sapwood-based model and were unbiased across the range of our data. There findings verify the value of nonsapwood-based approaches to T. canadensis leaf area prediction.

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 1684-1693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie R. Coyea ◽  
Hank A. Margolis

The ratio between projected leaf area (LA) and cross-sectional sapwood area (SA) of dominant and codominant balsam fir trees (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.) was determined in 24 forest stands across the province of Quebec. Various physical factors proposed in the Whitehead hydraulic model, and some of the easily measured surrogates of these factors, were tested for their influence on LA:SA ratios. Average growing season vapor pressure deficit, temperature, precipitation, and stand drainage class did not significantly influence LA:SA ratios. On the other hand, LA:SA ratios were positively influenced by sapwood permeability (k), tree height, and crown length. As suggested by the model, there was a positive correlation between sapwood permeability and LA:SA ratio and a negative correlation between tree height or crown length and LA/(SA k). Increases in sapwood permeability with tree age were associated with longer tracheids having larger lumen diameters. Of the various empirical factors tested, only site quality, 5-year basal area growth, and age had a significant influence on LA:SA ratios. Sapwood cross-sectional area at breast height by itself was a reasonable linear predictor of LA for all stands (LA = −0.158 + 0.709 SABH, R2 = 0.75). Using the variables that were previously determined to influence LA:SA ratios, stepwise regressions revealed that only crown length and 5-year basal area growth significantly improved linear predictions of LA based on sapwood area. However, the increase in R2 was relatively modest, i.e., 0.83 for all three independent variables versus 0.75 for SA alone. The results from this study will be useful in integrating physiologically based measurements, such as growth efficiency, into standard forest inventory practices for balsam fir and thus could be beneficial in developing new silvicultural strategies for protecting Quebec's forest resource.


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 2217-2229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas B Mainwaring ◽  
Douglas A Maguire

Basal area and height growth were analyzed for individual trees in uneven-aged ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud.) stands in central Oregon. Basal area growth was modeled as a function of other stand and tree variables to address three general objectives: (1) to compare the predictive ability of distance-dependent versus distance-independent stand density variables; (2) to determine the degree to which small trees negatively affect the growth of overstory trees; and (3) to test for differences in growth efficiency between species and between indices of spatial occupancy used to define efficiency (area potentially available, crown projection area, and a surrogate for total tree leaf area). Distance-dependent variables were found to improve growth predictions when added to models with only distance-independent variables, and small trees were found to have a quantifiably negative effect on the growth of larger trees. While volume growth efficiency declined with increasing levels of spatial occupancy for lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine volume growth efficiency was greatest at the highest levels of crown base sapwood area and crown projection area. The behavior in ponderosa pine resulted from the previously recognized correlation between tree height and total leaf area or crown size. The final statistical models distinguished between the positive effect of relative height and the negative effect of increasing tree size.


2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nate G. McDowell ◽  
Henry D. Adams ◽  
John D. Bailey ◽  
Thomas E. Kolb

We examined the response of growth efficiency (GE), leaf area index (LAI), and resin flow (RF) to stand density manipulations in ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) forests of northern Arizona, USA. The study used a 40 year stand density experiment including seven replicated basal area (BA) treatments ranging from 7 to 45 m2·ha–1. Results were extended to the larger region using published and unpublished datasets on ponderosa pine RF. GE was quantified using basal area increment (BAI), stemwood production (NPPs), or volume increment (VI) per leaf area (Al) or sapwood area (As). GE per Al was positively correlated with BA, regardless of numerator (BAI/Al, NPPs/Al, and VI/Al; r2 = 0.84, 0.95, and 0.96, respectively). GE per As exhibited variable responses to BA. Understory LAI increased with decreasing BA; however, total (understory plus overstory) LAI was not correlated with BA, GE, or RF. Opposite of the original research on this subject, resin flow was negatively related to GE per Al because Al/As ratios decline with increasing BA. BAI, and to a lesser degree BA, predicted RF better than growth efficiency, suggesting that the simplest measurement with the fewest assumptions (BAI) is also the best approach for predicting RF.


1996 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Penner ◽  
Godelieve Deblonde

Relationships between leaf area and sapwood area, sapwood area and basal area, and leaf area and basal area growth are determined for jack pine and red pine. The relationships vary with species and stand origin. Growth efficiency (basal area growth per unit leaf area) is relatively independent of tree size under all but the densest conditions. Observed changes in the leaf area to leaf mass ratio from July to October indicate that allometric relationships vary seasonally. A procedure is outlined for obtaining estimates of stand leaf area index (LAI). These estimates may be used to calibrate instruments that measure LAI and, subsequently, to predict forest productivity. Key words: leaf area index, basal area, growth efficiency, red pine, jack pine, sapwood area


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1332-1342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Gersonde ◽  
John J Battles ◽  
Kevin L O'Hara

The spatially explicit light model tRAYci was calibrated to conditions in multi-aged Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests. To reflect conditions that are important to growth and regeneration of this forest type, we sampled a variety of managed mature stands with multiple canopy layers and cohorts. Calibration of the light model included determining leaf area density for individual species with the use of leaf area – sapwood area prediction equations. Prediction equations differed between species and could be improved using site index. The light model predicted point measurements from hemispherical photographs well over a range of 27%–63% light. Simplifying the crown representation in the tRAYci model to average values for species and canopy strata resulted in little reduction in model performance and makes the model more useful to applications with lower sampling intensity. Vertical light profiles in managed mixed-conifer stands could be divided into homogeneous, sigmiodal, and continuous gradients, depending on stand structure and foliage distribution. Concentration of leaf area in the upper canopy concentrates light resources on dominant trees in continuous canopies. Irregular canopies of multiaged stands, however, provide more light resources to mid-size trees and could support growth of shade-intolerant species. Knowledge of the vertical distribution of light intensity in connection with stand structural information can guide regulation of irregular stand structures to meet forest management objectives.


Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 605
Author(s):  
Peter F. Newton

The objective of this study was to specify, parameterize, and evaluate an acoustic-based inferential framework for estimating commercially-relevant wood attributes within standing jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb) trees. The analytical framework consisted of a suite of models for predicting the dynamic modulus of elasticity (me), microfibril angle (ma), oven-dried wood density (wd), tracheid wall thickness (wt), radial and tangential tracheid diameters (dr and dt, respectively), fibre coarseness (co), and specific surface area (sa), from dilatational stress wave velocity (vd). Data acquisition consisted of (1) in-forest collection of acoustic velocity measurements on 61 sample trees situated within 10 variable-sized plots that were established in four mature jack pine stands situated in boreal Canada followed by the removal of breast-height cross-sectional disk samples, and (2) given (1), in-laboratory extraction of radial-based transverse xylem samples from the 61 disks and subsequent attribute determination via Silviscan-3. Statistically, attribute-specific acoustic prediction models were specified, parameterized, and, subsequently, evaluated on their goodness-of-fit, lack-of-fit, and predictive ability. The results indicated that significant (p ≤ 0.05) and unbiased relationships could be established for all attributes but dt. The models explained 71%, 66%, 61%, 42%, 30%, 19%, and 13% of the variation in me, wt, sa, co, wd, ma, and dr, respectively. Simulated model performance when deploying an acoustic-based wood density estimate indicated that the expected magnitude of the error arising from predicting dt, co, sa, wt, me, and ma prediction would be in the order of ±8%, ±12%, ±12%, ±13%, ±20%, and ±39% of their true values, respectively. Assessment of the utility of predicting the prerequisite wd estimate using micro-drill resistance measures revealed that the amplitude-based wd estimate was inconsequentially more precise than that obtained from vd (≈ <2%). A discourse regarding the potential utility and limitations of the acoustic-based computational suite for forecasting jack pine end-product potential was also articulated.


2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1719-1726 ◽  
Author(s):  
C W Woodall ◽  
C E Fiedler ◽  
K S Milner

Intertree competition indices and effects were examined in 14 uneven-aged ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum Engelm.) stands in eastern Montana. Location, height, diameter at breast height (DBH), basal area increment, crown ratio, and sapwood area were determined for each tree (DBH >3.8 cm) on one stem-mapped plot (0.2-0.4 ha) in each sample stand. Based on tree locations, various competition indices were derived for each sample tree and correlated with its growth efficiency by diameter class. In addition, trends in individual tree attributes by diameter class and level of surrounding competition were determined. For trees with a DBH <10 cm, growth efficiency was most strongly correlated with the sum of surrounding tree heights within 10.6 m. The index most highly correlated for larger trees was the sum of surrounding basal area within 6.1 m. Regardless of tree size, individual tree growth efficiency, basal area increment, and crown ratio all decreased under increasing levels of competition, with the effect more pronounced in smaller trees. These results suggest that individual trees in uneven-aged stands experience competition from differing sources at varying scales based on their size, with response to competition diminishing as tree size increases.


1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 985-988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram Oren ◽  
Walter G. Thies ◽  
Richard H. Waring

Total stand sapwood basal area, a measure of competing canopy leaf area, was reduced 30% by laminated root rot induced by Phellinusweirii (Murr.) Gilb. in a heavily infected 40-year-old coastal stand of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) compared with that of a similar uninfected stand. Annual basal area increment per unit of sapwood area, an index of tree vigor, was expected to increase in uninfected trees in the infected stand as surrounding trees died from root rot; vigor of the uninfected trees did increase by an average of 30%, offsetting the reduction in canopy leaf area. This increase, although less than might be expected in an evenly spaced thinned stand, was sufficient to maintain stand basal area growth at levels similar to those of unthinned forests. These findings indicate that increased growth by residual trees must be taken into account when the impact of disease-induced mortality on stand production is assessed.


2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1155-1164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip V. Hofmeyer ◽  
Robert S. Seymour ◽  
Laura S. Kenefic

Equations to predict branch and tree leaf area, foliar mass, and stemwood volume were developed from 25 destructively sampled northern white-cedar ( Thuja occidentalis L.) trees, a species whose production ecology has not been studied. Resulting models were applied to a large sample of 296 cored trees from 60 sites stratified across a soil gradient throughout northern Maine. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to assess alternative forms of the relationship between volume increment (VINC) and projected leaf area (PLA); analysis of covariance was used compare stemwood growth efficiency (GE) among soil-site classes, light exposure classes, and the presence of decay. Stem volume was estimated with Honer’s equation ( T.G. Honer. 1967. Forest Management Research and Services Institute ) with refitted parameters. PLA was best predicted with Maguire and Bennett’s nonlinear model ( D.A. Maguire and W.S. Bennett. 1996. Can. J. For. Res. 26: 1991–2005 ) using sapwood area or crown length and the ratio of tree height to diameter at breast height. A sigmoid model form captured the relationship between VINC and PLA more precisely and with less bias than the simple power function; this implies that the relationship between GE and PLA reaches a peak rather than decreases monotonically. At PLAs >50 m2, GE gradually declined with increasing crown size and was significantly influenced by site and light exposure. With PLA, site, and light held constant, decayed trees had a significantly lower (by 11%) GE than sound stems, a finding not previously reported for other tree species.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvineet Singh ◽  
Vishwali Mhasawade ◽  
Rumi Chunara

Importance: Modern predictive models require large amounts of data for training and evaluation which can result in building models that are specific to certain locations, populations in them and clinical practices. Yet, best practices and guidelines for clinical risk prediction models have not yet considered such challenges to generalizability. Objectives: To investigate changes in measures of predictive discrimination, calibration, and algorithmic fairness when transferring models for predicting in-hospital mortality across ICUs in different populations. Also, to study the reasons for the lack of generalizability in these measures. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this multi-center cross-sectional study, electronic health records from 179 hospitals across the US with 70,126 hospitalizations were analyzed. Time of data collection ranged from 2014 to 2015. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome is in-hospital mortality. Generalization gap, defined as difference between model performance metrics across hospitals, is computed for discrimination and calibration metrics, namely area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration slope. To assess model performance by race variable, we report differences in false negative rates across groups. Data were also analyzed using a causal discovery algorithm "Fast Causal Inference" (FCI) that infers paths of causal influence while identifying potential influences associated with unmeasured variables. Results: In-hospital mortality rates differed in the range of 3.9%-9.3% (1st-3rd quartile) across hospitals. When transferring models across hospitals, AUC at the test hospital ranged from 0.777 to 0.832 (1st to 3rd quartile; median 0.801); calibration slope from 0.725 to 0.983 (1st to 3rd quartile; median 0.853); and disparity in false negative rates from 0.046 to 0.168 (1st to 3rd quartile; median 0.092). When transferring models across geographies, AUC ranged from 0.795 to 0.813 (1st to 3rd quartile; median 0.804); calibration slope from 0.904 to 1.018 (1st to 3rd quartile; median 0.968); and disparity in false negative rates from 0.018 to 0.074 (1st to 3rd quartile; median 0.040). Distribution of all variable types (demography, vitals, and labs) differed significantly across hospitals and regions. Shifts in the race variable distribution and some clinical (vitals, labs and surgery) variables by hospital or region. Race variable also mediates differences in the relationship between clinical variables and mortality, by hospital/region. Conclusions and Relevance: Group-specific metrics should be assessed during generalizability checks to identify potential harms to the groups. In order to develop methods to improve and guarantee performance of prediction models in new environments for groups and individuals, better understanding and provenance of health processes as well as data generating processes by sub-group are needed to identify and mitigate sources of variation.


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