Stem number development and potential stand density in unthinned even-aged Azadirachta indica plantations in Gujarat, India

Growth modelling is an essential prerequisite for evaluating the consequences of a particular management action on the future development of forest ecosystem and is a central theme of forest management. Growth models are not available for many indigenous species in India and such information, particularly for neem, is very rare. In this paper equations have been developed to estimate potential stand density and to model the natural decline of trees in pure even-aged stands of neem. Relationships have been developed between the quadratic mean diameter and number of stems per ha and parameters of this relationship have been used to produce a limiting line. Two different models were applied on the data to model the natural decrease of stem numbers in the stands and performed equally well.