Stand Density Management: an Alternative Approach and Its Application to Douglas-fir Plantations

Authors: Drew, T. John; Flewelling, James W.

Source: Forest Science, Volume 25, Number 3, 1 September 1979 , pp. 518-532(15)

Publisher: Society of American Foresters

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Abstract:

A method of viewing stand density as it relates to volume production and tree size is developed in the form of a simple density management diagram applicable to plantations of coastal Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, on all sites. Three prominent points in stand development, crown closure, imminent competition-mortality and the maximum size-density relationship are defined in terms of tree size and stand density, and their implication for stand dynamics is discussed. A relative density index is presented as a basis for quantifying tree growth and stand yield as a function of density. The trade-off between maximizing individual tree size or stand yield is considered; this recurring dilemma for forest managers can be rationalized on the basis of the density management diagram. Forest Sci. 25:518-532.

Keywords: Pseudotsuga menziesii; tree size; stand yield; management regimes

Document Type: Journal article

Affiliations: 1: Forestry Biometrician (currently enrolled in a Ph D program at the University of Georgia), Western Forestry Research Center, Weyerhaeuser Company, Centralia, WA 98531

Publication date: 1979-09-01

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